A fake account is pretending to be you: how to warn your followers, patients or clients (message templates)

1. When to warn people: now, alongside your report

Do three things in parallel, in this order:

1. Save evidence: the fake account's exact handle, the full profile URL, dated screenshots of the profile and of the messages it sends. Our checklist: save evidence before reporting.
2. Report the fake account to the platform as impersonation (section 7).
3. Warn your audience without waiting for the platform's answer.

If the fake account has already taken money from followers, also read a fake account is scamming your followers, which covers how to respond to the scam itself.

2. Where to warn people: the right channel for each audience

Google says Business Profile posts (updates, offers, events) appear on Search and Maps, and that posts older than six months are archived unless a date range is set.

3. Five rules for a good warning

1. Short and calm. No all-caps, no drama: you want people to believe you, not panic.
2. The fake account's exact name, with no clickable link. Write the handle without the "@" (on most networks, "@" creates a link to the account) or show a screenshot with its photo blurred.
3. What you never ask for: money, bank transfers, gift cards, crypto, codes sent by text, card details or health information by private message.
4. Where to check: one reliable place that lists your official accounts and contacts, usually your website.
5. What to do: don't reply, don't pay, report, block.

4. Ready-to-copy templates

Fill in the brackets. Keep the tone consistent: your followers should recognize the way you write.

Template 1 — Story (one line)

Template 2 — Pinned post

Template 3 — Profile bio

Template 4 — Reply to "Is this you?"

Template 5 — Pinned comment

Template 6 — To people who already paid

This message promises no refund and gives no legal advice: it points people to those who can act.

Template 7 — Email or newsletter to a business's customers

Short version for a Google Business Profile update or a website banner: "A fake [platform] account is using our name. Our only official contacts are the ones on this page. We never ask for payment by private message."

Template 8 — Notice for a medical practice's reception or waiting room

Patient confidentiality: the notice names no patient, no situation and no number of people affected. If a patient tells you they were contacted or paid, reply to them privately, and never post a screenshot of your exchanges with them.

Template 9 — Voicemail greeting

Template 10 — Short version for any network

5. What not to do

• Post a clickable link to the fake account: you send it traffic. The written name or a blurred screenshot is enough. Send the link privately to people who want to report it.
• Insult or threaten the person behind it, publicly or privately: it won't get the account closed and can backfire.
• Promise refunds to victims: it isn't your job, and a public promise attracts other scammers posing as "the refund service."
• Share victims' details: no names, amounts, chat screenshots or contact details, even to "prove" the scam.
• Ask followers to swarm or harass the fake account: a report is enough.
• Send ID to anyone claiming to be platform "support": use the official form only.

6. Get followers to report, and track the effect

Ask your audience to report, but don't rely on them alone: your own report matters most. Here is what the official pages say.

To track the effect, keep a simple log: date, platform, fake handle, your report reference numbers, the answers you get, and how many people asked "is this you?". Keep only what's useful: no victim details beyond what the police or the platform ask for. Once the account is gone, update your pinned post ("the fake account has been removed, stay alert") and keep the bio line for a few weeks: fake accounts sometimes come back under a new name.

7. Get the fake account taken down

Warning people doesn't replace reporting. Our platform guides: fake Instagram account, fake TikTok account, fake Facebook account, fake LinkedIn profile, fake X account. If your face is used in a scam ad: my face in a scam ad. If it's your company's name or logo: brand impersonation.

8. What the law says

Platform rules ban impersonation, so a well-made report often works without going to court. The legal side depends on where you live. In the US, several states, including California (Penal Code § 528.5), have online impersonation laws, and using a fake identity to get money is fraud. This page is general information, not legal advice: for your own case, talk to a lawyer or the police.