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If someone is using an AI-generated voice, image, video, message, or account to impersonate you or your organization, pause any payment or disclosure, verify the request through a contact method you already trust, and save evidence before reporting the content. A convincing face or voice is not proof of identity: the FBI and IC3 warn that AI-generated content can be difficult to identify.
Someone made a deepfake of me—what do I do first?
- Stop the immediate risk. Do not send money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, passwords, authentication codes, identity documents, or other sensitive information in response. Avoid clicking links, opening attachments, or installing apps until you verify who contacted you.
- Verify through a separate, trusted channel. Call or message the person or organization using a number, email address, or account you already know is genuine. Do not use a callback number, reply path, or link supplied in the suspicious message. If the request appears to come from a relative, executive, bank, government agency, or law-enforcement officer, pause and verify through a second channel already on file.
- Do not treat appearance or caller ID as authentication. An apparent face, familiar voice, video call, or displayed phone number can be misleading. Mismatched URLs, email addresses or account handles, unusual requests, and pressure to act urgently are warning signs, but synthetic content may have no obvious defects. Independent verification is safer than trying to spot a deepfake.
For organizations, use an established callback and approval process before changing payment details or fulfilling sensitive requests. This is a practical control against impersonation, not a guarantee that a request is genuine.
How do I preserve evidence before reporting it?
Where it is safe and lawful, record the details before a post, profile, or message disappears. Keep original messages and files unchanged. Do not edit them, and do not repost suspicious content to prove it exists.
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- Save the full page or profile URL, the date and time you found it, and any relevant phone numbers, email addresses, sender details, or message headers.
- Record the exact claim or demand made, such as a request for a wire transfer, password, or authentication code.
- If money was sent, note the date, amount, payment method, recipient or account details, and cryptocurrency address if applicable. Keep transaction records and relevant communications.
These details can help you make a useful complaint to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), which asks about the contact, communications, payment information, and interaction.
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How can I report a fake account, video, message, or website?
Report it to the service hosting the content
Use the platform’s current impersonation, abuse, or safety-reporting process for the post, profile, or message. Procedures differ by service and can change, so follow the instructions shown by the platform. Save the report confirmation and any case number. A platform report does not guarantee removal.
For suspected internet crime in the United States, report it to IC3
If the impersonation involves fraud or an attempted internet crime, submit a complaint at the official IC3 website (ic3.gov). Type the address directly rather than following an unsolicited link or sponsored search result. IC3 warns that fake sites may pose as complaint portals and that recovery scammers may target people who have already lost money. Include the preserved communications, URLs, account names, and transaction details that apply. Filing a complaint does not guarantee an investigation or recovery of funds.
For a U.S. government or business impersonation scam, report it to the FTC
Report a U.S. government or business impersonation scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FTC’s Government and Business Impersonation Rule prohibits materially and falsely posing as, or falsely claiming affiliation with, a government entity or business in or affecting commerce. This is not a blanket rule covering every private-person impersonation or every possible legal remedy.
If money or payment credentials are at risk, contact the provider promptly
Contact your bank, card issuer, payment provider, or cryptocurrency platform through an app, website, or phone number you independently know is genuine. Ask what steps may stop or dispute the transaction and secure the account. Do not assume a payment can be reversed or recovered.
If the content is intimate imagery
Do not forward or repost the imagery as evidence. Report it through the platform’s dedicated intimate-image reporting route and seek current local support resources. Removal options and legal protections depend on the circumstances and jurisdiction; there is no single procedure or law that can be assumed to cover every deepfake.
What if my real account may have been taken over?
A fake profile may simply imitate you, but an attacker may also have access to one of your real accounts. If that is possible, use the service’s official recovery process from a trusted device. Then:
- Change the affected account’s password and secure the associated email account.
- Review active sessions and connected apps, and revoke unfamiliar access where the service allows it.
- Turn on multi-factor authentication if available. A compatible FIDO2 security key can serve as a factor on accounts that support security keys.
- Never give a one-time authentication code to someone who contacts you. Attackers may use social engineering to get a code and take over an account.
What should an organization do if someone is impersonating its business?
Assign one person or team to coordinate the response, then notify internal security, communications, legal, and executive contacts through established channels. Preserve the evidence described above and report the fake presence to the platform. If a staff account, customer data, or payment process could be affected, treat the matter as a possible security incident as well as a public impersonation.
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For a suspected payment request, have the recipient pause and verify it using contact details and approval steps already on file. If customers or employees may be confused, consider a clear warning through the organization’s genuine, established channels. Do not send people to a link or account that has not been verified as yours.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where should people outside the United States report it?
The FTC and IC3 routes above are U.S.-specific. Elsewhere, use the hosting service’s reporting process and look up the appropriate fraud-reporting or law-enforcement channel for your country through an official government source. The right route can depend on where you are, who was impersonated, the platform, and whether money, credentials, or an account were compromised.
How common is AI impersonation, and what does the law cover?
The FTC reported $3.5 billion in consumer-reported losses to imposter scams in 2025, and said nearly one in three consumer fraud reports that year concerned imposter scams. These figures cover imposter scams broadly—not AI-generated impersonation alone. The FTC also reported $2.95 billion in consumer losses to scams impersonating businesses and government in 2024; that is an older figure with a narrower description, so it should not be treated as directly comparable to the later all-imposter-scam total. The official figures cited here do not establish an AI-only prevalence rate.
The FTC’s rule addresses materially false impersonation of, or false claims of affiliation with, a government entity or business in or affecting commerce. It does not establish one universal remedy for private-person impersonation. Platform reporting and official complaints can help document and escalate a case, but neither guarantees that content will be removed, authorities will investigate, or money will be recovered.
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