How to report fake Instagram and TikTok accounts impersonating your business

To report an Instagram or TikTok account impersonating your business, report it from the profile and choose the impersonation option, then file a trademark report if the account uses your registered name or logo. Both platforms also offer web forms that don't need an account. On Instagram, a business can apply for Meta's Brand Rights Protection to find and report misuse at scale.

Here's which route to use, what each platform asks for, and how to keep a fake from coming back. For the full picture across platforms, see social media impersonation.

Impersonation report or trademark report

For a fake support account using your logo, file both. They're reviewed under different policies, and one may succeed where the other stalls.

Instagram, step by step

• Open the fake profile, tap the menu, choose Report, then the option for an account pretending to be someone else, and pick a business or organization.

• If you don't have an account or need to add detail, use Instagram's impersonation form. It handles one account per report.

• If the account uses your trademark, file Meta's trademark report with your registration details.

• If it copies your photos or creative, file Meta's copyright report too.

• Save every confirmation or case ID, and reply quickly if Meta asks for more evidence.

TikTok, step by step

• Open the profile, tap Share or the menu, choose Report, then Report account, then Impersonation.

• For a formal report, use TikTok's online impersonation form. It may ask for documents showing you represent the business.

• If the account uses your trademark or copyrighted content, file TikTok's trademark or copyright complaint form.

• If the account owner files a counter-report, TikTok may ask you for more evidence.

Make the report hard to reject

• Link a page on your own website that lists your official accounts. See build a verify page customers can check.

• Show the harm, not just the name. A screenshot of the fake asking a customer to message it or click a link is stronger than a profile screenshot.

• Note the account's permanent ID or profile link, not just the handle, because handles change.

• Report the link the fake shares as well. The account is the lure; the link is where customers lose money. See the account is the lure, the link is the loss.

Scaling up on Meta

If fakes of your brand appear on Instagram and Facebook every week, apply for Meta's Brand Rights Protection through your Business Manager. It helps you find and report pages, accounts, content and ads that misuse your brand from one place.

When it's more than your team can handle

If new fakes appear faster than you can report them, the work becomes follow-up, not filing. ChainPatrol finds impersonation across social platforms, files the reports with the evidence each one requires, and follows up with platforms until we've confirmed each case has been removed. You can follow every case in the ChainPatrol app as it moves. You also get regular reports on what's been removed, what's blocked with a takedown in progress, what's still live and why, and what's waiting on your approval.

Frequently asked questions

Can I report a fake Instagram account without an Instagram account?

Yes. Instagram's impersonation form works without an account. Meta's trademark and copyright forms do too.

Do I need a registered trademark to report impersonation?

Not for an impersonation report. A registration is what makes a trademark report work, so file the impersonation report either way.

Will the fake account owner know who reported them?

Platforms may share the reporter's contact details with the account owner for intellectual property reports. Use a company address, not a personal one.

See which Instagram and TikTok accounts are impersonating your brand. Get a free scan, with results within 48 hours.

Sources

Accessed October 2026. Platform processes change; check each source for the latest.

• Instagram Help Center, report an impersonation account

• Meta, trademark report form

• Meta Business Help, Brand Rights Protection

• TikTok Help Center, report an impersonation account

• TikTok, trademark complaint form