How to report fraud on Facebook: the complete guide for brand owners

Facebook gives brands a powerful way to reach customers, build communities, and sell products. But that same scale also makes it attractive to scammers, counterfeiters, impersonators, and bad actors using fake pages, fake accounts, scam ads, misleading Marketplace listings, and copied content.

This guide explains how to report fraud on Facebook, which forms to use, what evidence to collect, and how brand owners can move from one-off reports to a more scalable brand protection strategy.

TL;DR

• Fake pages, fake accounts, counterfeit sellers, copyright infringement, scam ads, Marketplace fraud, and fake reviews are the main Facebook threats brand owners face.
• Most Facebook violations can be reported through the three-dot menu on a page, profile, post, listing, ad, or review.
• Copyright issues should be reported through Meta’s copyright report form.
• Counterfeit products and trademark abuse should be reported through Meta’s counterfeit or trademark reporting routes.
• Brands dealing with repeated IP abuse should consider Meta Brand Rights Protection and continuous monitoring across Facebook, Instagram, ads, groups, and Marketplace.

What counts as Facebook fraud or brand abuse?

Facebook fraud and brand abuse operate at an industrial scale. In 2025, Meta removed 159 million scam ads globally, 93% before anyone reported them, and took down 10.9 million accounts associated with criminal scam centres. Despite this, new fake pages, counterfeit sellers, and fraudulent ads continue to appear. Meta’s response includes expanding advertiser verification to cover 90% of ad revenue by the end of 2026 and deploying AI that now proactively identifies deceptive links and brand impersonation across its platforms. For brands, this means enforcement infrastructure is strengthening, but the volume of abuse is also growing, and reporting the right way remains essential.

Facebook fraud can take many forms. For brand owners, the most common issues usually fall into seven categories.

Fake business pages. Someone creates a Facebook Page using your brand name, logo, product photos, or company identity. They may use it to sell counterfeits, promote phishing links, run fake promotions, or confuse your customers.

Fake personal accounts. A scammer creates a profile pretending to be a founder, executive, employee, creator, or customer support representative. These accounts may contact customers, partners, or employees directly.

Counterfeit sellers. Sellers use Facebook Marketplace, groups, pages, comments, or private messages to sell fake versions of your products.

Copyright infringement. Someone uses your photos, videos, written content, product images, or ad creatives without permission.

Trademark infringement. A page, profile, ad, group, or seller uses your registered brand name, logo, or other protected marks in a way that could mislead users.

Scam ads. Fraudsters run Facebook ads using your brand identity to drive users to fake websites, phishing pages, counterfeit listings, or unauthorized promotions.

Fake reviews. Competitors, counterfeit sellers, or bad actors post false reviews on your Facebook Business Page to damage trust.

These problems often overlap. A fake page may run scam ads. A counterfeit seller may use copyrighted photos. A fake profile may direct buyers to a fraudulent Marketplace listing. That is why the best reporting route depends on what is happening, not just where the content appears.

How to contact Facebook about fraud: phone number, email, and forms

Many users search for a Facebook fraud phone number first. The important thing to know is that Facebook does not provide a general live fraud hotline for scams, fake pages, counterfeit sellers, or IP abuse.

You may see Facebook phone numbers such as 650-543-4800 or 650-308-7300 listed online. These should not be treated as a direct fraud department phone number. Meta lists 650-543-4800 as part of its DMCA-designated agent contact information, but for most fraud and IP issues, Meta directs users to online forms and reporting tools.

For brand owners, these are the most useful contact and reporting routes:

• Facebook Help Center: facebook.com/help
• Copyright Report Form: facebook.com/help/contact/copyrightform
• Trademark Report Form: facebook.com/help/contact/trademarkform
• Counterfeit Report Form: facebook.com/help/contact/counterfeitform
• Brand Rights Protection: facebook.com/business/help/828925381043253
• Meta DMCA designated agent: Meta Platforms, Inc., Attn: Meta Designated Agent, 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025
• Meta IP email: ip@fb.com
• Phishing reports (email): phish@fb.com 

For most brand abuse cases, the fastest route is not calling Facebook. It is using the correct reporting form, submitting clear evidence, and tracking the outcome.

Where to report each type of Facebook fraud

Use this table to find the right reporting path quickly.

Problem	Best reporting route
Fake business page impersonating your brand	Page three-dot menu, “Find support or report Page,” or impersonation form
Fake profile impersonating an executive or employee	Profile three-dot menu, “Find support or report profile”
Copyright infringement	Meta copyright report form
Facebook ad copyright infringement	Meta copyright report form, with ad/page details and screenshots
Trademark infringement	Meta trademark report form
Counterfeit products	Meta counterfeit report form or Brand Rights Protection
Fake goods on Facebook Marketplace	Report Listing, then submit counterfeit/trademark report if needed
Fake reviews	Review three-dot menu on your Facebook Business Page
Repeated IP abuse across many assets	Meta Brand Rights Protection or a brand protection platform

This matters because reporting a counterfeit seller as a generic scam may not be enough. If your trademark is being misused, use the trademark or counterfeit route. If your creative is copied, use the copyright route. If the issue is repeated or high-volume, manual reporting alone will probably not scale.

How to find fake pages and accounts impersonating your brand

Before you can report Facebook fraud, you need to find it. Some fake pages and profiles are obvious. Others are designed to avoid detection.

Search directly on Facebook

Start with Facebook’s own search bar. Search for:

• Your brand name
• Common misspellings
• Product names
• Founder or executive names
• Customer support terms
• Promotion-related terms, such as “discount,” “outlet,” “clearance,” or “official”

Filter results by Pages, Profiles, Groups, Marketplace, or Posts, depending on the type of abuse you are investigating.

Search on Google

Search Google for your brand name plus Facebook. For example:

• “[Brand name] Facebook”
• “[Brand name] official Facebook”
• “[Brand name] outlet Facebook”
• “[Brand name] customer support Facebook”
• “[Brand name] discount Facebook”

Fake pages can sometimes rank in search results, especially if they copy your branding and use similar naming.

Use reverse image search

Take your logo, product images, executive headshots, or campaign creatives and run reverse image searches. This can surface fake Facebook pages or profiles using your visual assets, even when they do not use your exact brand name.

Search hashtags and product terms

Counterfeit sellers and impersonators often use hashtags to reach buyers. Search for branded hashtags, product-specific hashtags, misspellings, and category terms.

Ask customers and support teams to flag suspicious pages

Customers often find fake pages before the brand does. Create an internal process so customer support, social media, and sales teams know where to send suspicious links.

Search from a different account when needed

Some scammers block the legitimate brand page or known employees. If you receive a customer report but cannot access the page, search from another account or ask an authorized team member to check.

How to take down a fake Facebook page

Fake Facebook pages are one of the most common brand impersonation problems. The page may copy your logo, name, images, description, or product catalog to look legitimate.

Step 1: Go to the fake Facebook page

Open the page you want to report. Capture the page URL before you start. Also take screenshots of the page name, profile image, cover image, posts, contact details, and any content using your brand identity.

Step 2: Click the three-dot menu

On the page, click the three-dot menu. Depending on your device and Facebook’s current interface, this may appear near the cover photo, page header, or action buttons.

Step 3: Select “Find support or report Page”

Choose the reporting option that best matches the issue. If the page is pretending to be your business, select an impersonation, scam, or fake page option. If the page is using your trademark, you may need to use the trademark reporting route as well.

Step 4: Choose the most accurate reason

For brand impersonation, choose the closest available option, such as pretending to be another business or organization. For IP misuse, use the intellectual property option if available.

Step 5: Submit the report

Complete the prompts and submit the report. Save any confirmation details, screenshots, and case references.

Step 6: Escalate through IP forms if needed

If Facebook does not remove the page through the standard reporting flow, submit a separate trademark or counterfeit report if the fake page is using your brand name, logo, or registered marks.

For stronger reports, include:

• Your official Facebook Page URL
• The fake page URL
• Screenshots showing copied branding
• Trademark registration details, if applicable
• Examples of customer confusion
• Evidence of counterfeit sales, phishing, or scam activity

How to report a fake Facebook account

Fake profiles usually impersonate individuals rather than businesses. For brands, this often means fake profiles pretending to be founders, executives, employees, influencers, customer support agents, or sales representatives.

Step 1: Go to the fake profile

Open the fake profile and copy the URL. Take screenshots of the profile name, photo, bio, posts, messages, and any content showing impersonation.

Step 2: Click the three-dot menu

Click the three-dot menu on the profile. On some devices, this may appear near the profile photo or below the cover image.

Step 3: Select “Find support or report profile”

Choose the report option and select the reason that best describes the issue.

Step 4: Choose “Pretending to be someone”

If the profile is impersonating a real person, choose the impersonation option. Specify whether the account is pretending to be you, someone you know, a public figure, or another person connected to your business.

Step 5: Submit the report

Complete the prompts and submit. If the fake account is also using copyrighted images, trademarks, or scam links, file the relevant copyright, trademark, or counterfeit report separately.

Step 6: Warn affected contacts if needed

If the fake profile has contacted customers, employees, partners, or investors, consider publishing a short warning from your official page. Keep it calm and specific. Link only to your official channels.

How to report copyright infringement on Facebook

Copyright infringement happens when someone uses your original creative work without permission. On Facebook, this can include:

• Product photography
• Campaign images
• Videos
• Reels
• Written copy
• Website text
• Training materials
• Ad creatives
• Branded visual assets
• Original designs or illustrations

For brand owners, copyright reporting is especially useful when scammers copy product photos, website images, social media creatives, or ads to make fake pages look legitimate.

Step 1: Open Meta’s copyright report form

Use Meta’s Copyright Report Form.

This form is specifically for copyright claims. If the problem is counterfeit products or misuse of a brand name or logo, use the counterfeit or trademark forms instead.

Step 2: Confirm that you are the rights owner or authorized representative

Meta will ask whether you are the copyright owner or an authorized representative. You should only submit a copyright report if you own the content or have permission to act on behalf of the owner.

If you are an agency, distributor, legal representative, or brand protection provider, make sure your authorization is clear.

Step 3: Enter your contact information

Provide your name, company, country, and email address. Use a monitored business email rather than a personal email.

In many IP reporting processes, the reported party may receive some information about the complaint. For that reason, use a professional contact address that your team is comfortable sharing.

Step 4: Describe the original copyrighted work

Explain what was copied. Be specific.

For example:

• “Original product photography from our official ecommerce site”
• “A video published on our official Facebook page”
• “Campaign creative used in our paid advertising”
• “A product image owned by our company”
• “Original written product description copied from our website”

Where possible, provide URLs to the original work on your official website, Facebook page, Instagram account, YouTube channel, or ecommerce store.

Step 5: Add URLs for the infringing content

Provide direct links to the Facebook posts, pages, photos, videos, ads, or profiles using your content without permission.

Accuracy matters. A general page URL may not be enough if the infringement appears in a specific post, image, or video. Add the most direct URL you can find.

Step 6: Upload supporting documents

Attach any evidence that supports your claim. This may include:

• Copyright registration, if available
• Original source files
• Publication screenshots
• Asset ownership records
• Licensing documentation
• Brand guidelines
• Screenshots of the infringing content
• Screenshots of the original content

You do not always need a copyright registration to submit a platform report, but registration can help if the case later needs legal escalation.

Step 7: Submit the report

Review the form carefully before submitting. Make sure the original work, infringing URLs, and legal basis are clear.

After submission, Meta may remove the content, ask for more information, reject the report, or allow the reported party to respond. In some copyright cases, the alleged infringer may submit a counter-notice. If that happens, legal escalation may be needed to prevent reinstatement.

How to report Facebook ad copyright infringement

Facebook ad copyright infringement happens when someone uses your creative assets in paid ads without permission. This can be especially damaging because fraudulent ads can scale quickly and drive users to fake websites, counterfeit listings, phishing pages, or unauthorized promotions.

Use the copyright route when the issue is a copied creative work. Use the trademark or counterfeit route when the ad is using your brand name, logo, or product identity to mislead users.

Step 1: Capture the ad evidence

If you see the ad in your feed, take screenshots immediately. Include:

• The ad creative
• The advertiser/page name
• The visible URL or destination
• The date and time
• The call to action
• Any copied text, images, or video assets

If possible, also capture the ad from Meta’s ad transparency tools or the advertiser’s page.

Step 2: Identify the copyrighted work

Match the copied ad asset to the original work your brand owns. For example, show that the image came from your ecommerce site, campaign library, or official Facebook page.

Step 3: Submit through Meta’s copyright report form

Use Meta’s Copyright Report Form. Include the ad URL if available, the page running the ad, and screenshots showing the copied asset.

Step 4: Report connected trademark or counterfeit abuse

If the ad also uses your logo, brand name, or product marks to sell counterfeit goods, submit a trademark or counterfeit report as well.

Step 5: Track the destination

Do not only report the ad. Capture the destination URL too. Scam ads often send users to fake websites, fake checkout pages, or marketplace listings. That destination may need a separate enforcement action.

For brands facing repeated fake ads, Red Points Ad Protection can help detect and remove infringing ads across social media and search engines.

How to report a counterfeit seller on Facebook

Counterfeit sellers are different from general scammers. They are usually misusing your trademark to sell fake versions of your products.

On Facebook, counterfeit activity may appear in:

• Marketplace listings
• Buy/sell groups
• Facebook Pages
• Comments
• Reels
• Live videos
• Paid ads
• Direct messages

If the seller is using your brand name, logo, product packaging, or protected marks to sell fake goods, use Meta’s counterfeit or trademark reporting route.

Step 1: Use Meta’s counterfeit or trademark report form

For counterfeit products, use Meta’s Counterfeit Report Form.

For broader trademark misuse, use Meta’s Trademark Report Form.

If your brand has access to Brand Rights Protection, use that dashboard for repeat or multi-listing enforcement.

Step 2: Confirm that you own a registered trademark

Counterfeit reporting usually requires a registered trademark. Prepare:

• Trademark registration number
• Trademark owner name
• Country or jurisdiction of registration
• Trademark class, if relevant
• Proof that you are the owner or authorized representative

Step 3: Identify the counterfeit content

Collect direct URLs to the relevant content. Depending on the case, this may include:

• Marketplace listings
• Seller profiles
• Facebook Pages
• Group posts
• Product photos
• Ads
• Comments
• Live shopping posts
• Messages, if available

Include screenshots in case the seller deletes or edits the content later.

Step 4: Explain how the seller is misusing your trademark

Do not simply say “this is fake.” Explain why the content infringes your rights.

For example:

• The seller is using your registered logo on counterfeit products.
• The listing uses your brand name to sell non-genuine goods.
• The product packaging copies your protected marks.
• The seller is pretending to be an authorized distributor.
• The seller uses your trademark in a misleading page name or product title.

Step 5: Submit the report with evidence

Attach trademark documentation, screenshots, URLs, product comparisons, and any other proof that the goods are counterfeit.

Step 6: Report Marketplace listings directly when relevant

For Marketplace listings, also use the in-platform reporting flow:

1. Open the listing
2. Click the three-dot menu
3. Select “Report Listing”
4. Choose the closest reason, such as counterfeit, illegal product, scam, or inaccurate information
5. Submit

This helps flag the listing inside Marketplace while your trademark or counterfeit report provides the IP basis for removal.

Step 7: Report Facebook Groups selling counterfeit goods

Counterfeit sellers frequently operate through closed or private Facebook Groups, where moderation is lighter, and listings are less visible to platform review. 

To report a group: 

1. Go to the group page 
2. Click the three-dot menu near the group name
3. Select “Report group.” 
4. Choose the reason that best describes the violation: for counterfeit or fake goods, select the most relevant option available. For groups also using your trademark or branded assets, submit a separate trademark or counterfeit report using the IP forms linked in the contact directory above. 

Groups can be harder to remove than pages because they may have legitimate members alongside the bad actors, but Meta can restrict a group from adding new members, remove problematic content, or remove the group entirely.

How to report false advertising on Facebook Marketplace

False advertising on Facebook Marketplace can include misleading descriptions, fake claims, counterfeit products presented as authentic, bait-and-switch listings, or products that do not match the photos.

For brand owners, the most important cases are usually listings that misuse your brand name or imply authenticity when the product is not genuine.

Step 1: Open the Marketplace listing

Go directly to the listing and copy the URL. Take screenshots of the title, images, price, seller name, description, and any claims about authenticity.

Step 2: Click the three-dot menu

Open the reporting menu on the listing.

Step 3: Select “Report Listing”

Choose the reporting option that most closely matches the issue.

Step 4: Choose the relevant reason

Depending on the case, choose a reason such as:

• Inaccurate information
• Scam
• Counterfeit or illegal product
• Misleading listing
• Intellectual property issue

The exact labels may vary by region, device, or Facebook interface.

Step 5: Add context and submit

Explain what is misleading. If the product is counterfeit, mention that it is being presented as authentic and submit a counterfeit or trademark report separately.

Step 6: Track the seller

If one seller is using false advertising for your product, check whether they have other listings, groups, pages, or profiles. Repeat behavior is often more important than one isolated listing.

How to report fake reviews on Facebook

Fake reviews can damage trust, especially when they appear on your official Facebook Business Page. They may come from competitors, counterfeit sellers, disgruntled users, bots, or coordinated review attacks.

Signs a Facebook review may be fake

Look for patterns such as:

• The reviewer has a suspicious or empty profile
• The review is vague and lacks real customer detail
• The same wording appears in multiple reviews
• Several negative reviews appear at the same time
• The reviewer has no relationship with your business
• The review promotes another seller or website
• The review includes false claims, spam, or abusive content

A negative review is not automatically fake. Focus on evidence that the review violates Facebook’s policies or is not based on a real customer experience.

Step 1: Go to your Facebook Business Page

Open your official Facebook Business Page and go to the reviews or recommendations section.

Step 2: Find the review you want to report

Open the review and capture a screenshot before reporting it.

Step 3: Click the three-dot menu

Click the three dots next to the review or recommendation.

Step 4: Select the reporting option

Choose the closest reason available, such as spam, false information, harassment, or irrelevant content.

Step 5: Submit the report

Submit the report and monitor the outcome. Facebook may not remove a review unless it clearly violates platform rules, so evidence is important.

Step 6: Respond carefully if the review remains live

If the review is visible and you need to respond publicly, keep the reply factual and calm. Avoid accusing the reviewer unless you have clear proof. A simple response can help reassure real customers.

Example:

We do not have a record of this customer experience, but we take these concerns seriously. Please contact our official support team at [email/contact page] so we can look into it.

How to verify your Facebook Business Page and strengthen authenticity

Verification does not stop fake pages from appearing, but it can help customers identify your official presence.

Meta now separates two concepts that are often confused: Meta Verified for businesses and business verification in Meta Business Suite.

Meta Verified for businesses

Meta Verified for businesses is a paid subscription that may provide a verified badge, impersonation protection, account support, and additional business tools.

For brands, this can help make the official page easier to recognize and may reduce the impact of fake pages pretending to be you.

Business verification in Meta Business Suite

Business verification in Meta Business Suite is different. It helps Meta confirm that your business is legitimate, but Meta states that business verification does not give you a verified badge.

This is still useful for account trust, ad account setup, Business Manager access, and eligibility for some Meta tools.

Page completeness still matters

Whether or not your business is verified, your official page should be complete and consistent. Make sure it includes:

• Official logo
• Accurate page name
• Verified website link
• Business description
• Contact details
• Location, if relevant
• Regular posting activity
• Consistent branding with your website and other official channels

A complete official page makes fake pages easier for customers and platforms to distinguish.

How to secure your Facebook Business Page

Reporting fraud is important, but prevention matters too. Many brand abuse issues become worse when scammers gain access to business pages, ad accounts, or connected tools.

Use these controls to reduce risk.

Use two-factor authentication

Require two-factor authentication for anyone with access to your Facebook Page, Meta Business Suite, or ad accounts.

Limit admin access

Only give admin access to people who truly need it. Use lower-permission roles when possible.

Review page roles regularly

Check who has access to your Facebook Page, Business Manager, ad accounts, and connected assets. Remove former employees, agencies, freelancers, or partners who no longer need access.

Be careful with third-party apps

Review connected apps and integrations. Remove any apps you no longer use or do not recognize.

Use a password manager

Encourage employees with access to Meta assets to use unique, strong passwords stored in a password manager.

Monitor unusual activity

Watch for unexpected page edits, new admins, unusual ads, strange messages, or sudden spikes in comments and links. These can be signs of compromise or coordinated abuse.

Create an internal escalation process

Make sure customer support, social media, legal, and ecommerce teams know what to do when they find a fake page, counterfeit seller, or scam ad. A simple shared intake form can save time and preserve evidence.

Facebook Brand Rights Protection: when manual reporting is not enough

Manual reporting works for occasional issues. It becomes difficult when your brand is dealing with repeated infringement across pages, posts, ads, Marketplace listings, groups, and profiles.

Meta’s Brand Rights Protection tool is designed for brands that need to identify and report counterfeit, trademark, copyright, and business impersonation issues across Meta technologies.

With Brand Rights Protection, eligible brands can:

• Upload IP information
• Search for potentially infringing content
• Review matched content
• Submit takedown requests
• Track removal requests
• Manage repeat enforcement in one place

Meta also has a Brand Rights Protection application process. Eligibility and access may vary, but it is worth exploring if your brand regularly reports counterfeit products, trademark abuse, copied content, or impersonation.

Brand Rights Protection does not replace a broader brand protection strategy. It is one useful enforcement route inside Meta’s ecosystem. Brands still need to monitor external websites, marketplaces, search engines, social platforms, ads, and domains where Facebook abuse may lead customers.

Protect your brand on Facebook at scale with Red Points

Manual reporting is useful when you are dealing with a small number of issues. It becomes much harder when fraudsters are creating multiple fake pages, running scam ads, selling counterfeit products, copying your content, and moving across accounts or channels.

Red Points helps brands detect, validate, and remove social media threats at scale. Our platform monitors social media channels for fake profiles, impersonation, counterfeit listings, scam ads, and unauthorized use of brand assets.

For Facebook specifically, this can help brands:

• Detect fake pages and profiles using your brand identity
• Identify counterfeit sellers and suspicious listings
• Find scam ads that misuse your name, logo, or creatives
• Track repeat infringers across multiple accounts or assets
• Prioritize enforcement based on risk and impact
• Automate takedown workflows where possible
• Give internal teams clearer visibility into what has been found and removed

Red Points’ Social Media Protection helps brands remove fake profiles and social media abuse before customers are misled. Red Points’ Ad Protection helps brands detect and take down fraudulent ads targeting their customers. For counterfeit listings beyond Facebook, Red Points’ Marketplace Protection helps brands detect, validate, and remove infringing listings across global marketplaces.

If your team is spending time manually searching, reporting, and following up on Facebook fraud, automation can make the process faster and more consistent.

Request a demo to see how Red Points helps brands protect their customers, revenue, and reputation across Facebook and other online channels.

Frequently asked questions