Impersonation :
Impersonation is where users create social media accounts mimicking a legitimate account. Impersonators are those who pretend to be someone’s popular personality (i.e. Politician, Film star, Activists, Academician, Entrepreneur, etc) or an official representative of a popular brand or a company.
Impersonators are found across all online social platforms, which are widely used by celebrities, influencers, businesses, and public figures having different levels of popularity. Although many impersonators may be harmless, there also exist nasty fake accounts that focus on defamation or asking for donations / seeking loans as soon they are connected.
While some impersonation accounts are seemingly harmless—such as fan pages—many are created with malicious intent. These accounts can be used to spread misinformation, damage reputations, scam individuals for money, or even manipulate public sentiment.
With the rise of AI-generated deepfake technology, impersonation has evolved beyond simple fake profiles to realistic voice and video manipulations, making it harder than ever to distinguish genuine from fraudulent accounts.
Types of Impersonators :
Bot: These are public fake accounts that tend to mimic the legitimate user and generate related content. Some characteristics could be, no full name, no biography, and sometimes no profile photos. The no of followers is low and they follow a lot of similar accounts.
Fan: These are semi-human-operated accounts that are maintained by a fan for a celebrity. Some characteristics could be – Fans have higher profile similarity in photos, username, full name, and biography metrics. They publish posts and stories but don’t have their own content.
Crime: An Imposter is trying to simulate the identity of another individual or brand, in order to commit fraud, such as accessing confidential information, or gaining access to a property not belonging to them.
Entertainment: An entertainer impersonates a celebrity, generally for entertainment, and makes fun of their personal lives for the sole purpose of entertainment.
Romance & Sextortion Scams : (a) Fake profiles are used in dating scams to manipulate victims emotionally and extort money. (b) Deepfake nude images and videos are now created using AI to blackmail individuals.
Corporate Brand Hijacking & CEO Fraud : (a) Scammers impersonate CEOs or HR representatives to trick employees into transferring funds or sharing confidential data. i.e., A scammer, posing as a top executive, emails an employee asking for an urgent financial transaction, leading to major corporate losses.
Identifying an Impersonator :
- Check the Profile URL – Fake accounts often use slight name variations (e.g., “officialbrand_” instead of “officialbrand”).
- Analyse the Engagement Rate – Many fake accounts have high followers but low engagement (likes, comments).
- Verify Creation Date – Recently created accounts mimicking established figures are red flags.
- Look for Odd Activity – If a celebrity or public figure suddenly starts asking for donations or loans, it’s likely a scam.
- AI-Generated Content Warning – If voice messages or videos feel unnatural or robotic, it could be a deepfake.
- Fact Check – Fact check the video and photo using InVIDTools – InVID Verification PluginInVID projecthttps://www.invid-project.eu › Tools and Services
Few Expanding Threat of Impersonation :
- AI-Powered Deepfakes & Synthetic Media – (a) Impersonators now use AI-generated voices, face-swaps, and video manipulations to create fake content, making scams more convincing. I.e., Political leaders and business executives have been deepfaked to spread false statements, impacting elections and stock markets.
- WhatsApp & Telegram Business Impersonation – (a) Scammers now create fake business accounts on messaging platforms to deceive users into financial fraud. I.e., Fraudsters impersonate customer service representatives of banks, e-commerce sites, or even government agencies.
- Blue Tick & Verified Account Exploitation – (a) With paid verification models (e.g., Twitter/X, Meta Verified), impersonators purchase verification badges, making fake profiles look authentic.
- Romance & Sextortion Scams – (a) Fake profiles are used in dating scams to manipulate victims emotionally and extort money. (b) Deepfake nude images and videos are now created using AI to blackmail individuals.
- Corporate Brand Hijacking & CEO Fraud – (a) Scammers impersonate CEOs or HR representatives to trick employees into transferring funds or sharing confidential data. i.e., A scammer, posing as a top executive, emails an employee asking for an urgent financial transaction, leading to major corporate losses.
Few Tips :
- Strengthen Your Security – (a) Use strong, unique passwords with special & alphanumeric characters. (b) Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) on all accounts. (c) Use profile lock & privacy settings to restrict who can see your data.
- Be Wary of Suspicious Activity – (a) Never share sensitive data or click unknown links (e.g., phishing emails, fake job offers) (b) Avoid interacting with accounts that have few posts but high followers.
- Verify Before Trusting – (a) If contacted by a celebrity, brand, or official account, verify it on their official website or other verified platforms.
What the Indian Law Says :
- IT Act, Section 66D for Impersonation – Whoever, by means of any communication device or computer resource cheats by personation – Punishable up to 03 years and shall also be liable to fine which may extend to one lakh rupees.
- IT Act, Section 66C for Identity Theft – Whoever, fraudulently or dishonestly make use of the electronic signature, password or any other unique identification feature of any other person – Punishable up to 03 years and shall also be liable to fine which may extend to rupees one lakh.
- Indian Penal Code – 416 (Cheating by Personation) and 499 (Defamation) can also be used, depending on the crime.
Reporting Impersonation on Social Platforms :
You can report yourself as someone else is pretending to be you and your friends and well-wishers can also report their friends have been impersonated. Social Platforms may request you to upload a photo of yourself with a legal photo ID. Subsequently, appropriate action is taken. However, there is mistrust of the non-transparency of the process and the lack of case closure or summary reports available to the complainant.
- Instagram – https://help.instagram.com/370054663112398
- YouTube – https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2801947?hl=en
- Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/169486816475808
- YouTube – https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2801947?hl=en
- LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/61664/reporting-fake-profiles?lang=en
Reporting to Cyber Crime Police :
Impersonation is a crime. It involves assuming a false identity with the intent to defame or defraud another or pretending to be a representative of a person or organization.
- To Report directly to social platforms as mentioned above.
- If the gravity of the situation is much higher (Content is – Obscene / Nude / Suicide / Rape / Against a Faith /Against Sovereignty of Nation) then you should complain on the national cybercrime portal, https://www.cybercrime.gov.in
- Alternatively you may reach any nearest Cyber Police Station for quick support
