Practical guide
Warn Contacts About Impersonation Without Amplifying It
A short, accurate warning can identify an unauthorized account without spreading private conversations or asking people to investigate it.
Decide who actually needs the warning
If an account is pretending to be you, the first audience for a warning may be the people it has contacted, not everyone you have ever met. Start with the incident you can confirm. For example, two community members show you messages from an account using your name and asking for private details. You can warn that community about the unauthorized account without publishing your full contact network. A smaller, relevant audience often needs less explanation and less personal information.
State the identity boundary in plain words
A useful warning identifies the unauthorized handle, says that you do not control it and explains how recipients can recognize your established communication channel. Do not claim to know who operates the account unless you genuinely have verified information that is necessary to share. Avoid dramatic speculation about motives or the scale of the incident. The reader needs a clear action, such as not responding to that account's requests, rather than a long story that makes the suspicious profile more interesting.
Keep evidence in the reporting lane
eSafety's unwanted-contact guidance supports preserving relevant evidence and reporting it to the platform. That does not mean every screenshot belongs in a public warning. A private message may contain another person's address, embarrassment or unrelated conversation. Keep detailed evidence for the appropriate report, and use only the identifier necessary for your contacts to distinguish the account. Do not invite followers to confront the suspected impersonator. A warning should reduce exposure, not create a crowd that spreads the account and its messages further.
Update the status only when it changes
After a platform response, describe exactly what you can observe. If the report was acknowledged, say that it was submitted; if the profile is no longer accessible, describe that observation without claiming a permanent outcome you cannot verify. Keep your normal communication channel consistent so people do not have to guess which new announcement is genuine. The takeaway is a restrained notice with a clear identity boundary, a relevant audience and factual updates, leaving investigation and enforcement to the service handling the report.
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eSafety Commissioner: evidence and platform reporting ↗