facebook report impostor account

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Identity Theft

How to Report Identity Theft on Facebook

Last Updated: September 28, 2024 Tested

This article was co-authored by Clinton M. Sandvick, JD, PhD . Clinton M. Sandvick worked as a civil litigator in California for over 7 years. He received his JD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1998 and his PhD in American History from the University of Oregon in 2013. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. The wikiHow Tech Team also followed the article's instructions and verified that they work. This article has been viewed 58,058 times.

If you have been a victim of identity theft through Facebook, you can report the incident. Facebook makes it easy to report hacking and fake profiles. They can delete fake profiles and restore control of your account to you. If you know who is impersonating you online, you can also report that person to the police.

Reporting a Profile With the "Report" Link

There are different answer options for reporting a profile that is impersonating you, someone you know, or a celebrity.

Reporting an Imposter Account Without Your Own Account

Scan or take a clear photograph of your ID and upload the image by clicking the "Choose Files" button.
If you do not have a government-issued ID that meets these criteria, you can submit two non-governmental forms of identification. [5] X Research source For a list of acceptable forms of identification, visit https://www.facebook.com/help/159096464162185 .

Accessing a Hacked Account

Reporting Identity Theft to the Police

Ask Facebook to freeze your account until the fraud has been resolved.
Be sure you reset any passwords and usernames that may have been compromised.

Step 2 Inform credit bureaus and financial institutions.

Call TransUnion at (800) 680-7289, Equifax at (800) 525-6285, or Experian at (888) 397-3742 and request a fraud alert on your credit report. This alerts the bureaus of possible identity theft and prevents anyone from opening new credit accounts in your name. This service is free of charge. [7] X Research source
Call your bank and make sure there is no unusual activity on your accounts. Also, change your online banking login information in case the identity theft gained access through Facebook.

If someone is pretending to be you online and hurting your reputation, it is likely that the perpetrator is someone you know, rather than an anonymous scam artist.
Police typically do not treat identity theft the same way they treat traditional crimes. This is because perpetrators of identity theft work through the internet and are usually located across jurisdictional boundaries from their victims. For this reason, police are unlikely to pursue your case if you cannot identify a perpetrator who lives in their jurisdiction.

Carefully document any activity that can harm your reputation or career. For example, a woman prosecuted for posing as her ex-boyfriend online posted comments stating that he had a sexually-transmitted disease and used drugs. [9] X Research source
Also keep copies of any communications (emails, texts, or voicemails) from the perpetrator about the identity theft. If you have a message where the imposter admits to creating a fake profile, you can use it as evidence.

When you contact the police, be sure you have already filled out an FTC Identity Theft Affidavit and have a copy of the FTC Memo to Law Enforcement. [10] X Trustworthy Source Federal Trade Commission Website with up-to-date information for consumers from the Federal Trade Commisson Go to source The Identity Theft Affidavit will give law enforcement information about your identity and in what ways you think it was compromised. The FTC Memo instructs law enforcement on how to handle identity theft cases in order to make sure you get the help you need.

Expert Q&A

This article is intended as legal information and does not provide legal advice. If you need legal advice, contact a licensed attorney. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

↑ https://www.facebook.com/help/181495968648557
↑ https://www.facebook.com/help/159096464162185
↑ https://www.facebook.com/help/263149623790594/?ref=u2u
↑ https://www.identitytheft.gov/
↑ https://www.findlaw.com/legalblogs/criminal-defense/fake-facebook-profile-is-id-theft-nj-judge/
↑ https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/articles/pdf/pdf-0088-ftc-memo-law-enforcement.pdf