On this page

1. Find your situation

What is happeningPriorityWhere to go
A fake account or profile is pretending to be youGet it taken down, warn your contactsSection 3 and our fake profile guide
Your face or voice is used in a scam adWarn your audience, get the ads removedSection 3 and our scam ad guide
One of your accounts was hacked and someone posts as youRecover the accountSection 4
Your ID, Social Security number or bank details were used to open accounts, loans or servicesBank, official identity theft service, policeSection 5 (US, UK, EU)

These can overlap: someone who hacked your email may also find a scan of your passport in it. Deal with money and account access first, then content.

2. First steps in every case

  1. Keep evidence before you report anything: the exact URL of every account or page, dated screenshots, messages received, transaction references. Do not delete anything.
  2. Warn your contacts and audience from your real channels: "A fake account / fake messages are going around in my name. Do not reply, and never send money or codes."
  3. Secure your accounts: new passwords (starting with your email), two-factor authentication, and a check of logged-in devices.
  4. Do not engage with the impersonator.
  5. Keep a timeline: when you found it, what you reported, to whom, and the answers. Your bank, the police and any appeal will ask for it.

3. Fake accounts, fake profiles and scam ads

  1. Report the account on the platform using the impersonation reason ("pretending to be me"), not a generic one. Step-by-step guides: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn.
  2. Have an ID ready: most platforms ask for one to confirm you are the person being impersonated. Upload it only through the official form, never to an account that messages you.
  3. Report each harmful post (stolen photos, manipulated content), not only the account.
  4. For an ad, report it from the ad itself, then look up the advertiser's other ads. See our scam ad guide.
  5. If the platform refuses or does not answer: in the EU, online platforms (other than micro and small companies) must offer an internal appeal under the Digital Services Act; elsewhere, request a review and send a written notice. Our takedown request template gives you the wording.
  6. If the account posts a deepfake of you, also follow our deepfake guide.

4. A hacked account used to impersonate you

  1. Use the platform's official recovery process ("forgot password" or "my account was hacked"), only from the official app or site.
  2. Secure your email first: it is the key to every other account.
  3. Tell your contacts that messages sent during the takeover were not from you.
  4. Report it: in the US to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov if money or scams are involved; in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to Report Fraud (the service that replaced Action Fraud); in Scotland to Police Scotland on 101; in the EU to your national police or cybercrime reporting platform.

5. Your identity or financial details used for fraud

This is not a content removal problem, and SOS Deepfake does not handle financial fraud. These are the official routes.

United States

  1. Call the fraud department of your bank and card issuers and freeze or close affected accounts.
  2. Report at IdentityTheft.gov (Federal Trade Commission), or call 1-877-438-4338. You get an FTC identity theft report and a personal recovery plan.
  3. Place a fraud alert and a credit freeze with the three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion). IdentityTheft.gov lists their contact details.
  4. Tax identity theft: file IRS Form 14039.
  5. File a police report if your recovery plan or a creditor asks for one.

United Kingdom

  1. Contact your bank and ask it to hold pending transactions and explain its claims process.
  2. Report to Report Fraud online or on 0300 123 2040 (England, Wales and Northern Ireland). In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.
  3. Check your credit reports with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Checking your own report does not affect your score.
  4. Consider Cifas Protective Registration: £30 for two years, it asks member organisations to run extra checks when your details are used.

European Union Contact your bank first, then report to the police in your country. Many EU countries have an online complaint or cybercrime portal; in France it is 17Cyber and the THESEE online complaint service.

6. What the law says

Platform rules ban impersonation everywhere, which is why a well-made report usually works without going to court. The legal side depends on where you are. In the US, identity theft is a federal and state crime, and several states (including California, Texas and New York) also have specific online impersonation laws. In the UK there is no single "impersonation" offence: depending on the facts it may be fraud, harassment or a communications offence. In France, online impersonation is punishable by one year in prison and a €15,000 fine (article 226-4-1 of the Criminal Code). This page is general information, not legal advice: for your own case, talk to a lawyer.

Get the fake accounts taken down

If the impersonation runs through fake accounts, fake profiles or ads using your name, face or voice, our fake profile and impersonation removal service handles it: reports on the right grounds with the proof platforms ask for, follow-ups until the accounts are closed, and a search for new ones every week. For financial identity theft, your bank and the official services listed above remain the right contacts.

See pricing

FAQ

Is online impersonation illegal?
Often, yes, but it depends on the country and on what the impersonator does. Using a fake identity to get money is fraud almost everywhere. Platform rules ban impersonation regardless, so you can get the account removed without a court order.
Someone opened a credit card in my name. Where do I start?
In the US: the card issuer's fraud department, then IdentityTheft.gov for your report and recovery plan, then a fraud alert or credit freeze. In the UK: your bank, Report Fraud, and a check of your credit reports.
Do I need a police report to get a fake account removed?
No. A report to the platform with the impersonation reason and proof of identity is usually enough. Police reports matter for financial fraud and for identifying the person behind it.
Is Action Fraud still the place to report in the UK?
Action Fraud has been replaced by Report Fraud (reportfraud.police.uk, 0300 123 2040), which covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, report to Police Scotland on 101.
My hacked account is sending scam messages. Is that impersonation?
In practice, yes, on top of the hacking itself. Recover the account through the official process, warn your contacts, and report it if anyone lost money.
My passport scan was in a data breach. What should I do?
Watch for fake "bank" or "support" calls and messages, check your credit reports regularly, and replace the document if it is used fraudulently. See also what a leak is and what to do.

Sources

  1. FTC, IdentityTheft.gov
  2. USA.gov, "Identity theft" (FTC phone number, fraud alert, credit freeze, IRS Form 14039)
  3. FTC, ReportFraud.ftc.gov
  4. City of London Police, "Report Fraud service goes live with full public launch in January 2026"
  5. Report Fraud, "Identity fraud and identity theft"
  6. Cifas, Protective Registration
  7. Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 (Digital Services Act), art. 16 and 20
  8. California Penal Code § 528.5 (credible online impersonation)
  9. French Criminal Code, art. 226-4-1