How do I find out who is behind a fake Instagram profile?
You cannot find the real person yourself – Instagram does not show who owns an account, and only the police can ask the platform for that through a complaint. What you can do is find where the photos and texts come from, collect evidence and report the account, both to Instagram and on cybercrime.gov.in.
Veritaza does not reveal who is behind an account either: it checks whether the photos, name, username, number and messages show signs of fraud – for example, the same photos on other profiles or the username reported on warning sites. Veritaza never shows address, home, partner or family.
What you can do
- Reverse image search the profile photos to find the real owner of the pictures.
- Search the username and any name used, together with "scam" and "fraud".
- Take screenshots of the profile, the URL, the posts and the messages, with dates.
- Report the account inside Instagram (impersonation or scam).
- If you lost money or are being harassed, file a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in – the police can request the account details from the platform.
Frequently asked questions
- Can a "hacker" I found online trace the account for me?
- No. People offering to trace or hack an account for a fee are scammers themselves. Do not pay.
Want to know if there are warning signs about the person you are talking to? Veritaza checks the photos, messages, mobile number, email ID, name and ID card, for ₹289.
Verify a person