Seeing your own face or photos on an account that isn’t yours is unsettling. It happens more often than most people think: pictures get copied for fake profiles, scams, advertising or simply reposted without credit.
The good news is that most platforms take impersonation and stolen photos seriously. Here’s what to do, step by step.
In short: find every copy with a reverse image search, screenshot the evidence, report the account or page to the platform, and ask Google to remove results once the page is gone.
Step 1: Find out how far the photos have spread
Before you report anything, find out where else your pictures appear. Run each of the photos through our free Reverse Image Search and check all four engines. Google Lens is good for social media and websites, while TinEye can show when a copy first appeared if you sort by Oldest.
Make a simple list of every page or account you find. It saves time when you report them.
Step 2: Save the evidence
- Take screenshots of the profile or page, including the username, the web address and the date.
- Screenshot any posts or messages that use your photos or your name.
- Copy the link to each page into your list.
Do this before you report. Accounts often disappear or change names once they’re flagged, and you may need proof later.
Step 3: Report it to the platform
Every major platform has a way to report accounts that pretend to be someone else. Look for the Report option on the profile, usually behind a ⋯ menu, and choose the option about impersonation or pretending to be someone else.
- Instagram and Facebook: report the profile as pretending to be you. Instagram also has an impersonation form for people without an account. Our guide to Instagram accounts using stolen photos covers this in detail.
- TikTok, X and others: use the report option on the profile and choose impersonation.
- Websites and online shops: look for a contact or abuse email on the site, or contact the company that hosts it.
Platforms usually act faster when the report comes from the person in the photos, so report it yourself if you can.
Step 4: Use copyright if you took the photo
If you took the photo yourself, you usually own its copyright. That gives you another route: most websites and platforms have a copyright or DMCA form for removing content that uses your work without permission. Copyright requests are often handled faster than general complaints.
Step 5: Clean up Google search results
Google can’t delete a page from someone else’s website, but it can stop showing it once it’s gone. After a page or image has been removed from the original site, use Google’s Remove Outdated Content tool so the old copy drops out of search results faster. Our guide on removing your photos from Google explains every option.
If the photos are intimate or explicit
If someone has shared, or is threatening to share, intimate images of you, you don’t have to deal with it alone. Adults can use StopNCII.org, which helps stop those images being shared on participating platforms without you uploading them anywhere. If the person in the images is under 18, use Take It Down. Google also has a request form for removing non-consensual explicit images from Search. If someone is demanding money or threatening you, don’t pay, keep the evidence and contact the police.
How to make your photos harder to steal
- Keep personal accounts private if you don’t need strangers to see them.
- Tell your followers which account is really yours, so they can spot copies.
- Search your main photos every few months with a reverse image search.
Frequently asked questions
Is it illegal for someone to use my photos?
Using your photos to pretend to be you breaks the rules of every major platform. Depending on where you live, it can also break copyright, privacy or fraud laws, especially if it’s used to trick people out of money.
How long does it take for a platform to remove an account?
It varies. Some reports are handled within a day or two, others take longer. If nothing happens, report it again with your evidence.
Can I find out who is behind the fake account?
Usually not, and it’s safer not to confront them. Report the account, keep your evidence, and let the platform, or the police if you’re being threatened, deal with the person.
Worried your photos are out there? Check them now with our free Reverse Image Search. It’s free, and uploads are deleted automatically after about an hour.