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How to report spam on instagram


How to report a fraud on Instagram

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Instagram has grown from a niche photo-sharing platform into one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 2 billion monthly active users in 2021.

With the popularity of the platform, many businesses are now looking at Instagram as their primary online marketing channel: it’s the place where they work with influencers to promote their product, get user-generated reviews, and more.

Unfortunately, despite the fact that there are many businesses being active on Instagram there are also many bad actors looking to take advantage of the situation by scamming or defrauding unwitting users. 

While Instagram has been very active in combating cybercriminals and scammers on the platform, it has remained an uphill battle. There are still many fraud accounts impersonating famous people and well-known brands, and bad actors can then use these fake accounts to:

  • Sell fake products, claiming to be a legitimate brand offering ‘special discounts’.
  • Scam others, for example, by sending a link to phishing scams.
  • Post derogatory content to damage the reputation of the company the account is impersonating.

And more.

So, if you are a legitimate brand and your brand identity is being imitated by a fake account, what can you do about it?

In this guide, we will explore your options, especially how to report fraud and take down these fake Instagram accounts via reporting.

Let us begin.

The legality of fake Instagram accounts: How Instagram handles trademarks

Is creating a fake Instagram account impersonating another person or organization legal?

The short answer is no, it’s illegal, and if you are a registered trademark owner, Instagram is obligated to follow the U.S. federal trademark laws and potentially other relevant trademark laws in your location.

This simply means trademark infringement is strictly prohibited on Instagram. Which means that if you find your brand being impersonated by others (so technically, they have stolen your trademark), you have the right to report this account and Instagram is obligated to take action.

Instagram also adheres to the common law trademark rights, so it can ban accounts that perform infringements on unregistered trademarks, potentially including individual identity. 

So, even if you haven’t or can’t register your trademark yet (i.e., you can’t register an individual name unless you are already famous), you can still take action against these frauds and fake accounts impersonating your identity.

Due to the visual nature of Instagram, trademark infringements can happen in a wide variety of different ways: logos, brand names, product design, and so on.

Here are some examples of acts on Instagram that may be considered legal trademark infringement:

  • Fake accounts using your brand logo and brand name in their Instagram post or Instagram ads.
  • The usage of your slogan in a video ad.
  • Instagram profiles using your name, logo, or slogan in their design.

Take down fake profiles and counterfeits on social media platforms with technology

Identifying impersonation attempts on Instagram

There are over a billion Instagram accounts online today, so finding one or two accounts using your logos, name, or brand images might be easier said than done.

With that in mind, here are some approaches you can try when attempting to find out whether someone is impersonating you:

1. Search on Instagram

The first (and the easiest) thing you should do is to search for your name or brand’s name on the Instagram platform. You may also try searching for phrase variations, typos (i.e., Gogle instead of Google), and so on. Instagram will then show the search result listing all the accounts using your brand name.

Try reviewing these accounts one by one. Remember that just because an account has a name that is similar to or the same as your brand’s name doesn’t necessarily mean it’s made with a malicious intent to impersonate you. You can evaluate other factors, such as the content they are posting (i.e., if they are copying content from your feed, then it is clearly a case of impersonation), where they claim they are located, how they interact with others, and so on.

Keep in mind that accounts that are created with malicious intent tend to block the legitimate brand that they are impersonating. They do this in an effort to prolong their scam and reduce their chance of being spotted and reported by the company they are pretending to be. As a result, you may have to log in through another account (i.e., your personal account) to perform this search. We also recommend you try different spellings and variations of names, as bad actors try to be creative by switching letters or symbols in their account name to pull off their scam.

2. Search via hashtags

You can leverage Instagram’s search algorithm and try using hashtags in your search to find fraudulent Instagram accounts. This is especially effective when the fake account is attempting to sell products directly via Instagram because sellers typically use product specific hashtags to push their content towards the most relevant users. For example, a brand such as Apple might search for a hashtag such as #airpods, when they are searching for impersonators, whereas a brand such as Hermes might search for hashtags like #birkin.

However, you’ll need to be creative and meticulous when using this approach since, in practice, branded/product-specific hashtags are also used by legitimate consumers, resellers, and vendors. 

While this approach can be very effective when done right, it’s important to keep in mind that it can be very time-consuming to do.

3. Reverse image search

You can also perform a reverse image search (i.e., via Google Images) to check whether there are accounts that have posted your photos or any photos of your products/logo on Instagram. Unfortunately, as you can imagine, this process can also be time-consuming.

4. Invest in a real-time Instagram impersonation and fraud monitoring solution

If you want to quickly identify fake accounts impersonating your brand and take action ASAP, then the best approach is to invest in a social media protection tool like Red Points. Red Points can reliably scan through hundreds of Instagram profiles and web pages, quickly producing reliable and accurate results in just a matter of minutes.

By using Red Points, you effectively eliminate the need to perform manual searches, instead, the impersonation protection tool notifies you as soon as a detection is made allowing you to quickly take action and report these fake accounts and cases of fraud as soon as possible.

How to take down a fraudulent Instagram account: step-by-step

1. By using your desktop/web app

  • Step 1: Open your computer browser and then type https://help.instagram.com/contact/636276399721841 on the address bar.
  • Step 2: You’ll be given several options to describe your situation. Since you are reporting a fraudulent account, you can choose the option “Someone created an account pretending to be someone I represent”.
  • Step 3: Fill out your information on the given form. 
  • Step 4: You’ll need to specify your relationship to the person being impersonated. You can fill the field with “Yourself” or “Authorized representative”, depending on your case. Add your full name or the name of the company that is being impersonated and the username.
  • Step 5: You’ll need to submit information about the fraud or fake account. In the “The full name listed on the account that you’re reporting” field, type the name used as the profile’s name in its bio and not the username. You will input the username in the next field.
  • Step 6: You’ll need to take a photo of yourself holding up an accepted ID or a photo of the person you’re authorized to represent holding their ID. You can use any form of government ID here: passport, visa, driver’s license, and even birth certificate, among others. If you don’t have a government ID, you can hold up two IDs like a school ID card and a bank statement. You can check the full list of accepted ID forms here. Make sure that both your face and the ID are visible in the photo. Once you’re done, click “Choose Files” and upload the photo.
  • Step 7: Click Send and submit your report.

Instagram will review your submission and may contact you if they require more information. Instagram usually replies within 24 to 48 hours via email and will delete the fraud and fake account if your request is approved.

2. By using a mobile app

Note: it’s typically more effective to submit the form via the web/desktop app, and you can’t provide any proof via the mobile app. However, the process is easier and faster when using a mobile app.

  • Step 1: Go to the fake profile/account that impersonates you or your brand.  
  • Step 2: Tap the three dots at the top-right and choose “Report”, you’ll be provided with several options. Click on “Report Account.”
  • Step 3: On the next set of options, tap “It’s pretending to be someone else”.
  • Step 4: Choose who the account is impersonating. You can select “a business or organization” if the account is currently impersonating your brand.  
  • Step 5: Tap “Submit Report”.

You can use this option to submit a quick report, and you may follow up with another report from your desktop/web app later.

A mobile report can still be effective, and Instagram may disable the fake account for fraud activities if they are able to gather enough findings.

Reporting impersonation of a business page

If your brand owns a legitimate Instagram business page, then reporting the fraud and fake profile and getting it taken down is much easier. You can use the Instagram trademark infringement form to report the fake account using your trademarks.

You’ll need to provide proof of ownership and prepare the required documents to prove that your registered trademarks have been infringed. Having screenshots and other proof showing the account infringing your trademarks may also help.

Typically you’ll be required to submit a copy of your registration certificate that is able to prove ownership of the business/brand name that’s being used by the bad actor on the fake account.

Once you’ve submitted this proof of ownership and other relevant proof, Instagram will review the report to determine whether or not a trademark infringement has occurred. This report will serve as your official DMCA takedown request, and once it’s approved, Instagram will ensure the account is taken down and all content is removed.

What if you don’t hear back?

If you submit the Instagram trademark infringement form and don’t hear any response after 48 hours, don’t panic. First things first, try resubmitting the form. There’s always the possibility of technical errors leading to your forms not being received. If there’s any change to the situation, you may also want to update the information first, before you resubmit the form.

If the second form is ignored again, then you can try emailing Instagram’s support team. There may be underlying circumstances causing this delay, for example, if the support team requires more time to evaluate whether the infringement actually occurred. The support team may also ask for further information and proof before they can approve the report.

Finding out the culprit

Can you find out who made the fake account and take the necessary action?

Unfortunately, this can be quite challenging to do since Instagram will not reveal the identity of the bad actor behind the fraud for privacy purposes. Also, Instagram will not give you access to the fraudulent account even after it’s taken down. 

So, you’ll need to be proactive and take things on your own. Here are some tips you can use to find the culprit behind the fake account: 

  • Try reaching out to the contact information provided on the Instagram bio. Communicate with them and ask for contact information that can be used to trace them.
  • If they are selling counterfeit products, you may want to do a test purchase, this not only gives you chance to see if the products are high quality counterfeits, which might denote a problem in your supply chain, but it can also provide you with shipping details that may contain the address of where the bad actor is conducting business.
  • If they have any URL in the bio, we first recommend using a URL checker such as  ScanURL to confirm it is safe to open. If it is, then open the website or app, and attempt to trace the contact details. The contact information listed on the website may be able to help you find the culprit.

If the impersonation attempt has caused you any kind of financial loss or otherwise, it might be worth it to pursue the real culprit and take legal action. Red Points can help provide the data needed to file an official complaint in the event of legal disputes.

Protecting your trademark from frauds on Instagram with Red Points

Red Points’ advanced Brand Protection Software is designed to help brands protect their online reputation, revenue and the integrity of their trademarks, copyrights, and other forms of intellectual property.

Red Points will automatically scan the web 24/7 to monitor and protect from trademark infringements in real-time. By identifying infringements and brand abuse attempts as early as possible, you can stop bad actors from misusing your trademarks before they can cause any significant damage to your finances and reputation.

While dealing with trademark infringement and frauds on Instagram and taking down fake accounts can be quite complex, Red Points can help in gathering evidence and automatically sending takedown notices so that you don’t have to manually.

More like this on:

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How to Report on Instagram for Posts, Profiles, or Comments

  • You can easily report a post, profile, or comment on Instagram's mobile app.
  • To report a post directly from your feed on your mobile device, tap the "..." symbol in the upper right corner of the post and then select the reason you are flagging it. 
  • Depending on why you report the post, you may be asked for additional information about the content to help Instagram deem whether it is spam or inappropriate.
  • This story is part of Business Insider's Guide to Instagram.

While most of the posts that cross your Instagram feed won't violate the platform's Community Guidelines or Terms of Use, it sometimes happens.  If another user is posting something inappropriate or that might be considered spam on Instagram, you can report the post, comment, person, or account right on the app.

If you don't have an Instagram account, you can report most issues using this form. If an inappropriate or spam comment has been left on one of your posts, you can delete it by swiping left on iOS or pressing down on the reply for Android. 

If you think something on Instagram should be flagged for removal, here's how you report posts, profiles, and comments as inappropriate or spam. 

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

iPhone 11 (From $699.99 at Apple)
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How to report a post on Instagram

1. To report something as spam or inappropriate, tap the three-dotted symbol located at the top right of every Instagram post in your feed. For Story posts, you can find it at the bottom right. 

On Android, the dotted symbol is vertical, and for iOS users, it's horizontal. Abigail Abesamis/Business Insider

2. Tap Report.

A menu will appear with the option to report the post in red. Abigail Abesamis/Business Insider

3. Select the reason why you're reporting the post. Your first two options are "It's spam" and "It's inappropriate." 

These two options are the first of several steps in reporting a post. Abigail Abesamis/Business Insider

4. You may be prompted to provide additional details about why you're reporting the post. 

Issues you can flag a comment for include nudity,  hate speech, violence, and more. Abigail Abesamis/Business Insider

5. Instagram confirms it has received your report. 

If this screen doesn't appear, your report was not successfully sent. Abigail Abesamis/Business Insider

How to report a profile on Instagram

1. On the app, go to the user's profile and tap the three dots located on the top right of the screen next to their name. On the browser, the three dots will be located near the username, directly to the right of the "Message" and "Follow" buttons. 

A user's profile on the app and browser have slightly different layouts, but the button to report is the same. Abigail Abesamis/Business Insider

2. Tap "Report" on the app and "Report User" in the browser. 

A menu will appear that offers several options for reporting the profile similar to how you reported the post. Abigail Abesamis/Business Insider

3. Once again, select the reason why you're reporting the profile. 

4. A "Thank You" message for your report will appear once you've finished. 

How to report a comment on Instagram

1. Tap the speech bubble icon or "View comments" to see all the visible replies on an Instagram post.

The comment icon is nestled between the "Like" and "Share" buttons. Abigail Abesamis/Business Insider

2. Scroll to the comment you want to report and swipe left on for iOS users, or tap and hold the comment on an Android.

3. An icon of an exclamation point will appear. Tap it. 

Make sure not to double-tap the comment as that will like it. Abigail Abesamis/Business Insider

4. Select "Report this comment." 

This option will appear in a menu on the bottom of your screen. Abigail Abesamis/Business Insider

5. Choose the reason why you're reporting the comment before providing additional detail on why.

 

  • How to edit your Instagram bio on desktop or mobile

  • How to get Instagram on your iPad by downloading the iPhone app version

  • How to unmute an Instagram story on your iPhone or Android phone

  • How to add multiple photos to your Instagram story at once, or use a collage app

  • You can't edit a comment on Instagram, but you can easily delete and repost a comment — here's how

Abigail Abesamis Demarest

Abigail Abesamis Demarest is a contributing writer for Insider based in New York. She loves a good glazed donut and nerdy deep dives into the science of food and how it's made. 

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How to report a post on Instagram ➤ How to report a person on Instagram

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Content

  • 1 How to report a post on Instagram
  • 2 How to report a person on Instagram
  • 3 How many complaints do you need to block Instagram 9008 4008 9008 report a story on Instagram
  • 5 How to report a scam on Instagram
  • 6 How to report a page hack on Instagram

Are you offended by an Instagram user or his story? Do you want the profile to stop sending you spam? Or found out about a scam and want to notify the developers of the social network about it?

By reading this article, you will know everything about it and will no longer wonder about complaints on Instagram. So let's start the discussion.

How to report a post to Instagram

In the event that a certain post seems offensive or inappropriate to you, you can always file a complaint about it with the Instagram support service.

If there are enough complaints about such a publication, sanctions will be applied. The social network can delete it and block the page itself.

  1. To complete this task, first find the same Instagram photo you want to report. Go to the photo itself and click on the three dots in the upper right part of the post (indicated in red).
  2. After clicking, a menu with different functions is displayed, you need to select the item "Complain ..." (marked in red).
  3. Next, we are given the choice of what exactly to report about any Instagram post. The account owner will not know about your complaint about his post. It is impossible to find out about this, since the one who does this remains anonymous.

Now let's take a closer look at what cases you should complain about: spam, if a photo or video contains advertising material.

This item is marked in red on the attached photo. By clicking on it, you get a thank you from Instagram support for your spam notification.

In the case when the previous option (spam) does not suit you, there is another one - "This is inappropriate content", or "This is inappropriate". Marked in blue in the attached picture.

By clicking on it, a considerable choice of reasons for complaints about the post is provided. Each of them are types of materials prohibited by the rules of Instagram.

There are a lot of reasons for complaints provided by the Instagram application, so at least one of them will suit you.

How to report a person on Instagram

The developers of this social network have provided an opportunity to file complaints not only about the publication, but also about the person's Instagram account as a whole. If you wish to do so, we have provided all the necessary information below.

The first step is to go to the page itself, where there is inappropriate content, and click on the three dots in the top right corner (marked in blue in the photo).

After clicking, a menu is displayed, from the options of which we select "Complain ...". Here we are highlighted the same points as when complaining about one publication.

Among them, you also need to select the reason for your complaint about the person's Instagram profile.

You will be interested: how to protect yourself from spam on Instagram.

How many complaints does it take to block Instagram

If you strongly complain about another person's account, but they still have not been removed from the social network, you should know the rules of Instagram.

In order to block an Instagram page due to complaints, you need at least 10 complaints from different users. But this does not guarantee instant deletion of the profile; technical support first checks.

But sometimes, even after 5 comments about the content, the profile gets temporarily banned, the available functions are limited and the user receives a warning.

How to complain about a story on Instagram

In the social network, you can also file a complaint about a story, including. Everything here is as easy and simple as with other complaints.

First of all, click on the ellipsis at the bottom of the screen when viewing stories. It is located in the column for writing an answer to the story (circled in red in the photo).

After clicking, we are shown a menu with options, among which we need to select "Complain" - the top item. As you have already noticed, all actions for stories are similar to the previous ones. By going to the above column, we, as before, are shown the reasons for the complaint.

You will be interested: how to protect Instagram from hacking.

How to report fraud on Instagram

Unfortunately, the support service of the social network Instagram is not able to catch scammers on its own, as there are too many accounts.

However, you are given the opportunity to click the "Complain..." button in the deceiver's profile (how to do this is described above in this article). After several such complaints, the Instagram page will be blocked.

It is important not to forget to record the fact of fraud, for example, with a screenshot. If this is not done, then it will be difficult to prove that you were deceived. Therefore, we urge you to always be vigilant!

How to report a page hack on Instagram

Did you have a situation where your page was hacked, but you still have access to your profile? First of all, you need to change your Instagram password to something even more intricate and strong. This can be done through the "Reset password" option when logging into your account.

And that's it! We hope that our instructions helped to rid Instagram of the next scammers or violators of the rules for using the application. If you still have trouble, we advise you to read what to do if Instagram was stolen.

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Reporting to Instagram is the social network's recommended way to report a violation.

You can complain about specific content or the entire profile.

  • spam,
  • nudity or sexual activity,
  • hate speech or symbols,
  • racist language or activity,
  • violence or dangerous organizations,
  • bullying and harassment,
  • sale of illegal or regulated goods,
  • violation of intellectual property rights,
  • suicide or self-mutilation.

The reason for sending a complaint about the profile can be:

  • posting inappropriate publications by this account,
  • if the user impersonates another person,
  • if the owner of the page is under 13 years of age.

All complaints on Instagram are anonymous, with the exception of complaints about infringement of intellectual property rights.

If the review of the complaint reveals that the content is indeed prohibited, then it will be hidden or removed.

How to file a complaint?

The algorithm for sending a complaint depends on what exactly you are dissatisfied with. Let's look at the most common objects of complaints and algorithms of action depending on the situation.

How to complain about a publication

To complain about a photo, video, story or reels, follow the steps:

  1. open the publication,
  2. click on the “Three dots” icon, then “Report”:
  1. after that you need to select a reason (see screenshot ):
  1. done: complaint sent.

How to report a comment or message

To report an offensive message or comment, follow the pattern:

  1. open the conversation or comment in the app,
  2. press and hold it,
  3. select the “Complaint” button:
  1. indicate the reason and press “Send complaint”.

How to report a live broadcast

You can report a live broadcast if you think it shows self-harm, suicide, physical abuse, bullying or stalking, exposing children to danger, threats:

  1. open the broadcast,
  2. click on “Three dots” next to the “Comment” field,
  3. select the Complain button:
  1. indicate the reason.

Complain about the account of the user

Complain about the profile is as follows:

  1. click on the username,
  2. select “Three dots”,
  3. then “Complain”,
  4. then “Report account”
  • 8
  • state the reason:

    • How to report a product

    You can file a complaint about a seller or product that you think violates the rules. Complaining about a seller is done in the same way as complaining about a profile (see above).

    To complain about a product:

    1. go to the product page,
    2. click the “Three dots” icon,
    3. select “Complain about a product”, indicating the reason:

    Complaint about intellectual property

    Separate procedure for filing a complaint on infringement of intellectual property rights. Its peculiarity is that this statement is not anonymous. The object of the complaint will receive an alert with your details.

    There are three ways to submit a complaint of this kind: via the Instagram online form, using the Brand Rights Protection tool, or directly to an authorized specialist.

    The first option is the easiest:

    1. Follow the link to the form,
    2. Indicate your connection with the copyright holder:
    1. Enter all contact information:
    1. Describe Content Content:
    1. Swim :
    1. click Submit.

    Even if you don't have an Instagram account, you can still report content or a profile. To do this, you need to fill out a special form. The algorithm of actions is as follows:

    1. follow the link,
    2. fill in all the fields (see screenshots):
    1. click “Submit”.

    Where can I see the status of the complaint?

    The status of your complaint on Instagram can only be viewed from the mobile application:

    1. go to your profile,
    2. click on “Three Stripes”,
    3. then “Settings”,
    4. select “Help”,
    5. click on “Requests” support” and then “Complaints”.

    By clicking on a specific complaint, you can find out what decision was made on it and the date the decision was made. If Instagram does not remove the content, you can request a re-verification. If, after this check, the decision remains the same, the social network recommends contacting the Independent Supervisory Board.

    How to cancel a complaint?

    The Community Guidelines are clear on what to do if you want to withdraw your IPR complaint. In this case, you need to write a letter to the email address [email protected] indicating the number of the original complaint. Upon receipt of such notification, the content will be restored.

    How many complaints does it take to block an account?

    The number of complaints guaranteeing the blocking of the account is not registered anywhere. Instagram's official rules only state that "the number of complaints does not affect our decision to remove content from Instagram." They also state that “we may permanently delete accounts that regularly violate our Community Guidelines and Terms of Service.”

    Thus, regular violations can become the basis for deleting an account, which Instagram can learn about “with the help” of regular complaints.

    Cheat complaints

    Special services for cheating complaints recommend very specific figures.

    Learn more