Someone Created a Fake Profile of Your Business: What to Do

If a fake business profile is impersonating your business, first save evidence: screenshots, URLs, and the date you found it. Then report it on the platform where it appears. On Google, use the Business Redressal Complaint Form or request access to the listing. On Facebook and Instagram, report the profile or Page for impersonation. Finally, warn customers through your own channels and check regularly for new copies.

Impersonation takes different forms. It might be a duplicate Google listing with a scammer's phone number, a Facebook Page using your logo to run fake giveaways, or an Instagram account that copies your posts and messages your customers. The process is similar each time, but each platform has its own reporting channel. The platform decides what happens to a reported profile, so a clear, documented report is the one thing you control.

How fake profiles usually show up

You usually hear about a fake profile from someone else. A customer calls a number that isn't yours, a supplier asks about a page they found, or a review mentions a purchase you never made. Common versions:

• Duplicate map listings with your name, sometimes at a fake address, with a different phone number or website that redirects calls or payments.
• Hijacked listings, where someone else has claimed your real Google Business Profile and is editing it.
• Copycat social pages that reuse your logo, photos and name, often with a small spelling change, to run giveaways, take orders or collect personal data.
• Impostor accounts that pose as you or a staff member and message your followers.

Not everything that looks like a copy is fake. A former franchisee, a reseller, a fan page or a business with a similar name may be legitimate. Google's Maps content policy, for example, allows "alternative names for a person or organization where the content is not attempting to mislead others." Before you report, check that the profile really tries to pass itself off as you.

Step 1: Document everything before you report

Fake profiles can change their name, delete posts or disappear once reported. Collect evidence first so you can file again if needed and show the pattern to the platform.

1. Take screenshots of the profile, including the name, address, phone number, website, profile photo and any posts or offers. Make sure the date shows or write it down.
2. Copy the exact URL of the profile. For Google, use the public Google Maps link to the listing. For Facebook and Instagram, copy the profile or Page link, not just the display name.
3. Save evidence of harm: messages from confused customers, payment requests sent in your name, or calls that went to the wrong number. Remove customers' personal details before you share any of it.
4. Gather proof of your own identity: your official website, your verified profiles, business registration and, if you have one, your trademark registration number.

Keep all of this in one shared folder. If several people in your team are dealing with it, a short log of who reported what, and when, avoids duplicate or conflicting reports.

Step 2: Fake or hijacked listings on Google

Google's guidelines for representing your business say there "should only be one profile per business" and prohibit more than one page per location. Its Maps user-generated content policy also says: "Don't use Google Maps to impersonate any person, group, or organization." Which channel you use depends on what happened.

Someone else controls your real listing

If the profile is genuinely yours but someone else owns it, follow Google's process to request ownership of a Business Profile. You search for your business at business.google.com/add, select it and choose to request access. According to Google, the current owner is notified by email and has 3 days to respond. If they don't respond, you may get the option to claim the profile, but Google notes this option isn't always available. If your request is denied, you can still suggest edits or appeal.

A separate fake listing uses your name, number or website

Google's Business Redressal Complaint Form is meant for fraudulent content on Google Maps involving a business's name, phone number or website. It asks for your name and email, the name of the affected business, the type of content (title, address, phone number, website or a business that doesn't exist), the public Maps URL and an explanation of why it is fraudulent.

Keep your explanation factual and short. Say what is false and how you know. For example: the listed phone number isn't yours and customers who called it were asked for payment. Google says it can't guarantee action and won't send status updates, so check the listing again after a week or two.

If the problem is wrong details on your own listing rather than a fake one, see our guide on fixing wrong information on your Google Business Profile.

Step 3: Fake Facebook Pages and profiles

Facebook's help page on reporting a profile or Page pretending to be you or someone else says impersonating profiles and Pages go against its Community Standards. The current path is:

1. Go to the impersonating profile or Page.
2. Open the options menu (Facebook describes it as below the cover photo).
3. Choose Report profile or Report Page and follow the prompts for impersonation.

If you or the person being impersonated doesn't have a Facebook account, the same help page links to a contact form for reporting impersonation. You can also report impostor accounts through Messenger. Menus change from time to time, so check the help page if the options look different.

Report once, accurately, from the account that is affected. Asking staff or friends to mass-report the same page doesn't add evidence. It can also make the real report harder to spot.

Step 4: Fake Instagram accounts

Instagram's help page on impersonation accounts says that if you notice an account pretending to be you or someone you know, you can report it. Use the reporting link on that page or the report option on the account itself, and choose impersonation as the reason. Keep your proof of identity ready in case you are asked to confirm who you are.

While the report is pending, post a short notice on your real account. Name your official handle and say you will never ask for payment or passwords through direct messages.

Example (illustrative): "Heads up: an account called [fake handle] is using our name and photos. It is not us. Our only Instagram account is [official handle]. We will never ask for payment details by direct message. If you were contacted, please email [manager's email]."

Step 5: Use a trademark report if you have a registered mark

Impersonation reports are about pretending to be someone. A trademark report is about unauthorized use of a protected brand name or logo. Meta's trademark help page says that if you believe someone is infringing your trademark, you can report it using its form. It also mentions Brand Rights Protection, a Meta tool for finding content that misuses intellectual property.

A trademark report usually works best when you have a registered mark and the fake profile uses that name or logo. Read Meta's guidance on what to include before you file. Never claim rights you don't hold, because that would be an invented reason for a report.

When impersonation becomes fraud

If a fake profile is taking payments, collecting personal data or sending customers to a scam, treat it as a security issue as well as a platform issue. In the US, the FTC's rule on impersonation makes it an unfair or deceptive practice to "materially and falsely pose as" a business or to misrepresent affiliation with one (16 CFR § 461.3). This rule is enforced by the FTC, so check the FTC's website for how to report a scam that uses your business name. Your local police may also need a report if customers lost money.

This article is general information, not legal advice. If impersonation is causing real financial or legal harm, talk to a qualified lawyer in your jurisdiction about your options.

For larger incidents, a prepared online reputation crisis plan helps you decide who speaks for the business, what you tell customers and how you track the reports you've filed.

Step 6: Monitor for new copies

Removing one fake profile doesn't stop someone from creating another. A light routine catches new copies early:

• Monthly: search your business name, common misspellings and your phone number on Google Maps, Facebook and Instagram.
• Weekly: review new mentions of your brand. Our guide to monitoring brand mentions for free covers alerts and a simple tracking sheet.
• Ongoing: ask front-line staff to log any customer who mentions a page, number or offer you don't recognize.
• On your own channels: list your official profiles on your website so customers can check what's real.

If you want to see how impersonation fits into wider brand monitoring, read what brand monitoring covers and how to start. If you'd like a second pair of eyes on your Google presence, the free BRANDprotecto audit reviews your listing and reviews.

What to expect after reporting

Platforms review reports on their own timelines and don't always explain their decisions. Google says it won't send status updates on redressal complaints. If a profile stays up and is still clearly misleading, file a new report with any new evidence rather than repeating the same one. Keep warning customers through your own channels in the meantime, and keep your evidence folder up to date in case you need it later.