Fake online profiles are easy to make, especially on social media platforms, which means practically anyone can impersonate you in just a few steps. Impersonation can cause a lot of distress and potentially put you in trouble for something you did not do, but here is some advice how to handle these situations:

Document everything - Save information (links to profiles, screenshots, usernames and display names, etc.) on accounts that are impersonating you or someone you know, as it can be useful when reporting the case to the authorities or online platforms.

Report fake profiles for impersonation - In case someone is impersonating you by making fake online accounts, you can use platform mechanisms to report them. Here you can find more instructions on how to report impersonation on different online services: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube.

Limit your profile visibility - Check who can see your profile: some platforms offer the possibility to make your profile not visible publicly, meaning that you need to approve an account that wants to follow you. See further advice on how to set account privacy on Instagram, X and TikTok. On Facebook, you can set a default audience, so that all your future posts are only visible to your friends for example.

Notify your contacts - Also, a good strategy is to reach out to your friends, family and network of contacts to warn them of these manipulating accounts and ask them to also report these accounts.

Consider verifying your account - Online platforms offer users to verify their accounts through identity checks, so this is an option to consider, especially if you are a journalist or an otherwise publicly exposed person. For more details refer to these guides from Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok and YouTube.

Seek support - Talk to someone you trust about what you're experiencing, such as a friend, family member, teacher, or counsellor.