How to report a fake Facebook account impersonating you

Before you report: save the evidence

A fake account can rename itself or disappear the moment it feels noticed. Take two minutes to save everything:

1. Copy the profile link: on the profile, tap “…” then Copy link. The URL contains an ID that stays the same even if the display name changes.
2. Take screenshots: profile picture, name, posts and especially Messenger conversations with your customers.
3. Write down any payment or phone numbers the impersonator gives out.
4. Keep it all in one dated folder. You will reuse it for reports, customer warnings and a possible police report.

Report a fake Facebook profile (a person)

From the Facebook app or website, logged into your own account:

1. Open the fake profile.
2. Tap the three dots “…” below the cover photo or next to the Message button.
3. Select Report profile (it may read “Find support or report”).
4. Choose “Pretending to be someone” or “Fake profile”.
5. Say who is being impersonated: Me, a friend, a celebrity or a business.
6. If asked, point to your real profile, then submit.

Facebook may ask for a photo of your ID to confirm you are the person being impersonated. Only upload it inside the official app or on facebook.com.

Report a fake Facebook Page (business or brand)

If someone copied your shop, salon or brand as a Facebook Page:

1. Open the fake Page.
2. Tap “…” then Report Page.
3. Pick the impersonation reason, or scam or fraud if it sells fake products or collects payments.
4. Follow the prompts and submit.

If the Page uses your logo or a registered trademark, Meta also has intellectual property forms (trademark, copyright). Find them in the Facebook Help Center by searching “report trademark infringement”. They usually ask for details of your trademark registration.

No Facebook account, or the impersonator blocked you

Impersonators often block the real person so they can’t see the fake account. You still have options:

• Ask a friend to report it, choosing “a friend” or “a business” as the person being impersonated.
• Use the impersonation report form in the Facebook Help Center (search “impersonation” or “fake account”). It works without an account and asks for the fake profile’s link.
• If it is actually your own account that was hacked rather than copied, go to facebook.com/hacked to recover it (see also hacked Facebook account: what to do).

Facebook menus change often. If a label doesn’t match what you see, the official Help Center is the reference.

Meanwhile: protect your customers

Facebook doesn’t commit to a review time, and the fake account may keep messaging your followers. Act in parallel:

1. Post and pin a warning on your real Page: “A fake account is using my name. I never ask for payment in private messages. My only official accounts are listed here.”
2. Set up an automatic reply or saved reply in Messenger that lists your real contact details.
3. Contact regular customers directly, especially those who pay remotely.
4. Secure your own account: unique password and two-factor authentication in your security settings. Impersonators sometimes try to hack the real account too.

If customers lost money, they should contact their mobile money provider or bank right away with the transaction reference and file a police report. See someone is impersonating me online for that part.

How My Official Links helps against fake Facebook accounts

The real damage of a fake account is confusion: your customers can’t tell which one is you. With My Official Links:

• You get one official link (a page under your name) listing your real Facebook Page, your real WhatsApp, your other social accounts, promotions and address. Put it in your Facebook bio and everywhere else.
• With certification (blue badge), we check that your Facebook Page shows that link, that your phone numbers are yours (code by WhatsApp or by call) and that your legal name matches your national ID or tax number. How certification works.
• Customers can paste any Facebook link into the free Check an account tool. If it is your verified Page, they see it instantly.
• If someone copies your brand on My Official Links itself, use the Report impersonation form.

We are not affiliated with Meta and can’t remove Facebook accounts, but we give your audience a reliable reference point. Create your page: 14-day free trial, no credit card.

What to do right now: checklist

1. Copy the link of the fake profile or Page.
2. Screenshot the profile, posts, messages and numbers.
3. Report it: “Pretending to be someone” → “Me” or “A business”.
4. Ask 3 to 5 trusted people to report it with the same reason.
5. Post and pin a warning on your real Page.
6. Turn on two-factor authentication.
7. Put your official link in your bio and get it certified.