What to do if…
a fake account is impersonating you and messaging people about your location or plans

What to do now

1. Make a quick safety call about the next few hours.

   • If there is any chance someone could turn up where you are, or where you are going, change plans and move to a safer place.
   • Aim for somewhere indoors, with other people, or somewhere staffed, such as a shop, café, workplace reception, station desk, or trusted person’s home.
   • Tell one trusted person what is happening and ask them to stay reachable.

2. Capture proof quickly, without engaging.

   • Screenshot the fake profile, including the name, handle, profile photo, bio, and any posts.
   • Screenshot messages about your location or plans.
   • Save profile URLs, message URLs if available, dates, and times.
   • If friends received messages, ask them to screenshot the messages before blocking.
   • Do not delay urgent safety steps or a police call to gather evidence.

3. Lock down the accounts that could be feeding the impersonator information.

   • Change your email password first, because email is often used to reset other accounts.
   • Then change passwords for key social media, messaging, Apple, Google, and banking accounts if relevant.
   • Turn on 2-step verification for email and social accounts.
   • Check for unknown devices, sessions, or logins, and sign them out.
   • Check that recovery email addresses and phone numbers are yours.

4. Reduce what the impersonator can learn right now.

   • Set social accounts to private, even temporarily.
   • Restrict who can view stories, live updates, tagged posts, and location-based posts.
   • Remove or limit visibility on recent posts that reveal your workplace, home area, school run, gym, regular route, event plans, or travel times.
   • Turn off public location tagging and any public location-sharing features you use.

5. Report the impersonation using the platform’s official route.

   • Use the platform’s in-app or website reporting flow for impersonation, pretending to be someone, harassment, or safety concerns.
   • Do not use support links sent by the impersonator or by accounts that message you claiming they can help.
   • Ask a small number of trusted contacts who received messages to report and block the account after saving screenshots.
   • If the platform asks for identity verification, use only the platform’s built-in help or reporting route.

6. Send one clear warning to contacts.

   • From your real account, or by direct message to the people most likely to be contacted, say: “A fake account is impersonating me and messaging people. Please don’t reply, don’t share any information, and report or block it. If you received messages, please screenshot them first.”
   • Ask people not to reply to the impersonator to check whether it is really you.
   • Ask them not to share your current location, plans, workplace, home area, or who you are with.

7. Contact police if there is danger, threats, stalking, or harassment.

   • If you are in immediate danger, think someone may arrive imminently, or a crime is happening now, call 999.
   • If it is not an emergency but you feel unsafe, threatened, stalked, or harassed, call 101 or use your local police online reporting route.
   • Explain that an impersonation account is messaging people about your location or plans, and that you have screenshots or can get them.

8. Use the correct fraud or cyber crime route if scams, money, or account compromise are involved.

   • If you are in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland, Report Fraud is the reporting route for cyber crime and fraud.
   • If you are in Scotland, report fraud or cyber crime through Police Scotland via 101.
   • If money has been taken, payment details were shared, or accounts were accessed, contact your bank or payment provider immediately as well.
   • If suspicious emails, texts, websites, links, or phishing attempts are involved, use the GOV.UK phishing reporting guidance.