How to report an Instagram scammer

• Fake shops: an account or ad advertises heavily discounted branded goods through a slick storefront or linked website. Orders are paid but never arrive, or arrive as counterfeit or unrelated items, and the account or store often disappears after enough orders are collected.
• Investment and crypto "flipping": an account posts screenshots of trading profits and offers to multiply a deposit within days through a "mentor," bot or private group, requesting payment in cryptocurrency or by transfer.
• Impersonation of a real person or brand: a duplicate or lookalike account copies a public figure's or a company's name, photos and bio, then messages followers with prize claims, investment offers or requests for payment.
• Hacked-account requests for money: after taking over a friend's or contact's account, a scammer messages that person's followers asking for an urgent loan or a "favor" transfer, relying on the existing trust in the relationship.
• Sextortion: a scammer builds rapid rapport, obtains intimate images or video, then threatens to share them with the target's contacts unless a payment is made, often escalating pressure with fake deadlines.

Instagram lets you report most content types directly from the app. On a profile, tap the three-dot menu and choose "Report." On a post or reel, use the same menu on the post itself. For a story, tap the three dots above the story and select "Report." For a direct message, open the conversation, tap the account name, and look for a report option, or press and hold an individual message.

You will usually be asked to choose a reason, such as scam or fraud, fake account, pretending to be someone else, or intellectual property issue for a fake shop using stolen product photos. For sponsored content, ads can be reported through the same three-dot menu on the ad itself, which also helps flag the advertiser account.

Reporting a specific piece of content, rather than only the account in general, gives reviewers concrete material to check and tends to be more useful than a general complaint.

If someone has created an account using your name, photos or a business's branding, Instagram provides a dedicated impersonation reporting form, separate from the general in-app report option, reachable from the platform's Help Center. This form typically asks you to identify the impersonating account and may request identity verification, such as a photo ID or proof of authority to act for a business, to confirm you are the person or brand being impersonated.

Keep a record of the impersonating account's username, bio, and any posts or messages it sent to others before submitting the form, since the account may be altered or deleted once the operator notices increased attention.

If your Instagram account sends messages you did not write, posts content you did not create, or you are locked out, act quickly. Try to log in and reset your password immediately using an email or phone number you still control. If you cannot log in at all, use Instagram's account recovery flow for hacked accounts from the Help Center or the login screen's "Need more help" option.

Once back in, review and remove any unfamiliar login sessions, revoke access for unfamiliar linked third-party apps, turn on two-factor authentication, and update the recovery email and phone number. Warn your contacts that the account was compromised so they do not act on money requests sent while it was under someone else's control.

Accounts, posts, stories and messages can be deleted by the operator once they sense a report has been filed, and stories disappear on their own after a set period. Before or while reporting, try to save:

• Screenshots of the profile, including the username, bio and follower count.
• Screenshots of the scam post, ad, or story, including visible timestamps.
• The full direct message thread, including any payment instructions, wallet address or bank details.
• Screenshots of any linked external website used to take payment.
• Order confirmations, payment receipts or transaction references if you paid for something.

Keep copies outside Instagram, since deleting a conversation or account removes your own in-app record too.

If you lost money, shared payment details, or are being threatened with the release of private images, report it to your local police and, where available, a national fraud or cybercrime reporting body. Provide the account username, any linked website or payment details, and your saved screenshots. If a payment card or bank transfer was used, also contact your bank or card issuer, since they may be able to flag the transaction, though this does not guarantee any funds will be returned.

Instagram scams often overlap with wider tactics; if a fake support account contacted you first claiming a security issue, that pattern is covered in our guide to what phishing is, and if you received a follow-up phone call, see what vishing is.

Fraudpol reviews reports concerning the individual or group operating scam accounts, not just isolated posts or messages. A submission can include the Instagram username, any linked website, payment or wallet details, and message screenshots. Every report is reviewed manually, since accurately distinguishing a genuine scam operation from a misunderstanding or a copycat account requires human judgment.

Fraudpol does not recover money, never charges victims a fee to attempt recovery, and never contacts victims unsolicited asking for payment. Fraudpol is not a government agency or law enforcement body; substantiated cases are referred to the competent authorities. It does not replace reporting to Instagram, your bank, or the police, and it cannot promise any account will be removed, any funds returned, or any individual identified or prosecuted within a given timeframe.

To submit a case, use report a scammer. If the scam involved cryptocurrency, see how to report a crypto scam. If it began as a romantic relationship, read how to report a romance scammer, and if the operator also used Telegram to communicate, see how to report a Telegram scammer. For general next steps, see what to do if you've been scammed, and watch out for recovery scams targeting people who have already lost money.

Last checked: September 2026.

• Instagram Help Center: reporting, impersonation and hacked accounts