Unfortunately, there are fake profiles too created by people who want to con others. This is a dangerous act and criminal too especially when a profile is made using the credentials of people without their permission. Fake accounts may also be the accounts of people or businesses that do not exist in real and thus fictional.
You may know to distinguish between a real and a fake profile and thus deal with caution but not everybody can differentiate. This leads to people falling prey to fraudulent activities. Thus, to help the community at large it is important to report any fake profile that you may come across. Here is a step-by-step guide to accomplish the feat at ease.
How to Complaint Against Fake Facebook Account?
Visit the Facebook website or open the appSign in to your accountSearch for the fake account that you came across before. You may have seen such an account in a group, post, comment, or messageTap on the three dots on the profileFrom the drop-down choose Find support or report profileChoose Pretending to be SomeoneChoose an option from the Who are they pretending to be?Input the nameClick on SubmitYou can also choose Not an authentic nameClick on Done
A fake page can also be reported similarly. Once you are done reporting following all the instructions on-screen, the report will be sent to the support team for review. They will take necessary action if they approve of your claim.
At times, you may need to file a complaint to the government authority if the matter goes out of your hand or there is too much at stake. There is a different procedure for the same and it also varies from country to country. The way to do it in India is mentioned below:
You can file an FIR by visiting the nearest police station or cybercrime cell departmentYou can also file a complaint online by visiting https://cybercrime. gov. in/You need to provide name, mailing address, contact detail, and the details of the fake profile with the concern. An application letter has to be submitted addressing the head of the investigation cell of the cybercrime departmentCertain documents need to be submitted mandatorily as per the nature of the crimeTake a screenshot of the fake profile and any communication that transpired as soon as you can before the perpetrator deletes the account.
The complaint will be handled by the state police or location police. Section 66D of the information technology act of 2000 deals with fake social media accounts and other online issues as well.
Now that you know how to complaint against fake Facebook account, you need to be also careful about not reporting a real profile as fake. Some people may do so out of anger or since they have a grudge against the profile owner. It is not a good practice. One should be thoughtful and considerate before taking the drastic step of reporting.
