Your Instagram handle held by a spam or bot account

Signs it is a spam or bot account

• Generic or copied posts, often all on the same day.
• Comments or DMs with the same link sent to many people.
• A profile photo taken from someone else.
• Thousands of follows and almost no followers.

What to do

1. Screenshot the profile, a few posts and any spam messages, with dates visible.
2. Report the account in the app for spam. Report once, from your own account.
3. If it uses your brand name or logo to pose as you, file an impersonation report instead.
4. Try the handle in Edit profile now and then. If it saves, it is yours.

What not to do

• Asking friends to mass-report the account. It breaks the rules and can count against you.
• Paying anyone who says they can get spam accounts removed on request.