How to Report a Fake LinkedIn Profile Using Your Name

Fake LinkedIn profiles are often built around a real professional's name, photo and employer. They may be used to approach colleagues, recruit for fake jobs or lend credibility to a scam. When you report a fake LinkedIn profile using your name, the professional context matters: the reviewer needs to see that the profile claims your identity or role.

This guide covers what to save, the general reporting path, how to report without an account or on behalf of a colleague, and what happens next.

Before you report an impersonation account on LinkedIn

A clear record makes a report easier to review, and it can't be rebuilt once the account is renamed or deleted.

1. Take full-screen screenshots of the profile, including the name, username, profile photo, bio and follower count. Keep your device clock visible if you can.
2. Screenshot the posts, stories or messages that show the impersonation, especially anything asking people for money, personal details or contact off the platform.
3. Copy and save the full profile URL. Save the profile URL, which usually contains a custom slug after /in/, and note the job title and employer the profile claims.
4. Write down the date and time you found the account, and how you found it (for example, a friend sent you a link).
5. Save any messages people received from the account, with the sender's name visible.
6. Store everything in one folder, and do not edit or crop the original files. Make a copy if you need to annotate anything.

Avoid messaging the account, commenting on its posts or publicly calling it out before you report. That can prompt the person behind it to change the username or delete evidence without making removal any faster. Our guide on how to preserve evidence covers documentation in more depth.

How to report an impersonation account on LinkedIn: step by step

If you have a LinkedIn account, this is usually the fastest route:

1. Go to the fake profile.
2. Click the More button on the profile introduction section.
3. Select Report / Block.
4. Choose Report, then select the option indicating the profile is fake or is pretending to be someone.
5. Indicate that the profile is impersonating you and follow the prompts.
6. Submit the report and screenshot the confirmation.

If you don't have a LinkedIn account, or you have been blocked by the impersonator:

1. Go to LinkedIn Help and search for "fake profile" or "impersonation".
2. Open the form for reporting an inaccurate or fake profile linked from the help article.
3. Enter the profile URL and your details.
4. Provide identity verification if requested.
5. Submit and keep the confirmation email.

If you are reporting on behalf of someone else, such as a client, family member or employer:

1. Colleagues can report through the profile's More menu, choosing the option that it is pretending to be someone else.
2. If the profile misuses your company's name, a company page admin can also report it, and the employer listed may help confirm the profile is not a real employee.
3. Representatives should keep written authorization from the person being impersonated.

If the fake profile has sent messages to your contacts, ask them to report the messages as well. Messages promoting fake job offers can usually be reported directly from the conversation.

What happens after you report

LinkedIn reviews the report and may contact you by email. Profiles found to be fake or impersonating someone are typically restricted or removed.

Platforms do not publish a fixed timeline for impersonation reviews, and response times vary with the volume of reports and how clearly the report shows impersonation. While you wait, keep checking the account and add new screenshots to your folder if it posts again or changes its name.

What to do if your report is rejected

A rejected report does not always mean the platform decided the account is allowed. Often the report lacked something the reviewer needed. Before trying again:

1. Check the decision message for the reason and for any option to request another review. Use it if it exists.
2. Confirm you chose the impersonation category, not a general spam or harassment category.
3. Make sure you submitted through the official impersonation form with identity documents if the in-app report was declined.
4. Gather any new evidence, such as messages sent to your contacts, ads, or posts claiming to be you, and submit a fresh report that references it.
5. Ask people who were contacted by the account to file their own reports describing what happened to them.
6. Keep a log of each report, the date, the reference number if any, and the outcome.

If the account is being used for fraud, threats or extortion, consider also reporting it to local police or your national cybercrime reporting service. A police reference number can be useful later.

When to get help

Self-reporting works for many simple cases. It tends to stall when there are several accounts, when the account keeps returning under new names, when it is running scams in your name, or when you are a public figure and the account is drawing real attention. In those situations Eterna's fake account removal service verifies the account, preserves evidence and escalates through the channels available, within your authorization. Removal decisions remain with LinkedIn, and no outcome can be guaranteed.

For a wider view of impersonation risk, see our AI impersonation protection page and the guide to what to do when someone uses your name or photos.