How to report a scammer on Facebook

To report a Facebook profile, go to the profile, click Options below the cover photo (or next to the name), and select Report profile. You'll be asked to choose the option that best describes how the profile goes against Facebook's Community Standards, then submit. Depending on your answer, Facebook may or may not ask you to file a full report — for some content types, your feedback is only used to help its automated systems, without a formal case being opened source.

Reporting a page follows the same pattern: open the page, click Options, and choose Report page, then follow the prompts for a category. A single post, photo, comment or video can be reported directly from its own menu (usually three dots near the content), where you'll also pick a category such as scam, fraud or fake account.

If you can't easily navigate to a piece of content, Facebook Help Center describes how to copy the direct link (URL) to a profile, page, group, event or specific item by opening it and copying the address bar link, which is useful when sending evidence to someone else or keeping a record source.

From your Messenger inbox, open the chat, hover over (or tap and hold) the specific message you want to report, and click More, then Report, and pick a category. You can report a single message or the conversation as a whole source.

For end-to-end encrypted conversations, Meta's help pages explain that when you report the chat, recent messages from that conversation are forwarded and sent securely to Meta for review — reporting does not give Meta ongoing access to the rest of your encrypted messages source. You can also block the person from the same conversation, which stops further messages but is a separate action from reporting.

To report a Marketplace seller: go to Marketplace, open the listing, click the seller's name under "Seller information," then click Options and Report, following the on-screen instructions source.

For a listing you suspect is an outright scam, Facebook's dedicated flow is: Marketplace > Buying, open the listing, click the seller's name, click Options > Report, then select Scam and follow the prompts. Sellers reporting a buyer follow a mirrored path through Selling > Seller dashboard, opening the relevant order and its message thread, then More options > Report > Scam source.

Facebook's help pages note that sellers who violate Commerce Policies or Community Standards may be suspended or banned, and that buyers who file fraudulent claims are also subject to consequences under Purchase Protection policies source.

Purchase Protection basics: Purchase Protection is a claims process for eligible orders bought through Facebook's checkout on Marketplace (not all peer-to-peer, cash or off-platform deals qualify). If you have an issue with a shipped order, Facebook recommends contacting the seller first, and encourages reporting the issue within 3 days of delivery (or within 7 days of payment if there's no tracking); missing that window can affect your ability to file a claim with Facebook Support afterward source. Purchase Protection is not available in every location and does not cover items arranged for local pickup or paid for outside Facebook's checkout system, so don't assume a cash Marketplace deal is automatically protected.

If a scam started on Facebook Dating, the same principle applies as elsewhere on Facebook: open the profile or conversation involved, use the report option in its menu, and choose the category that best matches what happened (for example, scam or fraud). Facebook Dating conversations run through Facebook's messaging systems, so screenshot the conversation and any external contact details (a phone number, a request to move to WhatsApp or Telegram, or a request for money) before reporting or unmatching, since unmatching or blocking can limit what you can still see afterward.

Facebook profiles and pages that impersonate a real person go against its Community Standards. To report one: go to the impersonating profile (search for the name, or ask a friend to send you the link if you can't find it), click Options below the cover photo, and select Report profile, then follow the category prompts source.

If you don't have a Facebook account, Facebook explicitly allows impersonation reports without one: you can report an impersonating profile or page even without logging in, and Facebook's Help Center links a dedicated path for people without accounts source source.

For impersonation reported through a dedicated contact form, Facebook's impostor-account form notes that it can generally only act on a report filed by the person being impersonated or their authorized representative (for example, a parent or legal guardian); if a friend is being impersonated, you're asked to send them the form link so they can file it themselves source. Impersonation reported inside Messenger (an account messaging you while pretending to be someone you know) can also be reported from the conversation menu using the "Pretending to be someone" category.

Before you report, block, or the other account changes its name or deletes content, capture:

• The profile or page URL and numeric ID: a display name and photo can be changed at any time, but the underlying account or page keeps a stable link and, in most cases, a numeric identifier visible in the page source or share link. Save the full URL, not just the name.
• Screenshots with visible dates: capture the conversation, post or listing including Facebook's own timestamps, not just the text, since a cropped screenshot without a date is harder to use later.
• Payment references: any bank transfer reference, payment app username, gift card codes, or cryptocurrency address mentioned in the conversation or listing.
• The listing or order details: for Marketplace, save the listing link, the order number if one was generated through checkout, and any shipping or tracking information.

After you submit a report, Meta reviews it against its Community Standards or Commerce Policies and may remove content, restrict a page, or suspend an account. In most cases you will not receive a detailed explanation of what action, if any, was taken against the account you reported, or be told the identity behind it. A report does not guarantee removal, does not come with a fixed timeline, and does not by itself refund money already sent through checkout — that requires the separate Purchase Protection claims process described above, and only for eligible orders.

If you sent money by bank transfer, card, gift card or cryptocurrency, contact your bank or payment provider as soon as possible — some transfers can be recalled or disputed only within a short window. If you shared identity documents, passwords or one-time codes, treat this as a security incident and change any reused passwords. Report the loss to your local police or your country's national fraud-reporting body (for example, the FBI's IC3 in the United States or Action Fraud in the UK) in addition to reporting on Facebook, since Facebook's own report does not function as a police report or trigger a refund on its own. For phishing links sent through Messenger or a fake page, see our guide on what phishing is.

Fraudpol accepts reports that include a Facebook profile or page link, a Marketplace listing, or details from a Messenger conversation, alongside any payment references or screenshots you've gathered. Each report is reviewed manually, and where a case is substantiated, it can be referred to the competent authorities. Fraudpol does not recover money, never charges victims a fee, and never contacts you unsolicited asking for payment; it is not a government agency or law enforcement body, and filing with Fraudpol does not replace reporting to Facebook, your bank, or the police.

If the scam involved a specific individual or group, you can report a scammer. For a broader first-response checklist, see what to do if you've been scammed.

Last checked: September 2026.

• Report a Facebook profile
• Report a Facebook Marketplace seller
• Report a message or conversation on Messenger
• Report a Facebook Marketplace scam
• Get a link (URL) to report a piece of content on Facebook
• Report a Facebook profile or Page pretending to be you or someone else
• Don't Have an Account?
• Report an Impostor Account (form)
• Request help for issues with your order on Facebook Marketplace