Most dating-safety advice is about spotting a fake profile. Less is written about the opposite case: finding that someone has built a profile using another person’s photos and details. That can expose the real person to fraud, harassment or reputational damage, and may mean their pictures are used to deceive others. This article summarises advice from Report Harmful Content, an online harms reporting service, and the impersonation reporting pages published by Tinder and Hinge. Procedures on apps change, and the platform’s own current page should be checked.
What online impersonation is
Report Harmful Content describes online impersonation as creating a fake account or profile that mimics another person, organisation or entity, and says it can happen on social media, dating and gaming sites. It usually involves using another person’s name, photos and personal information, with the goal of deceiving others into believing they are dealing with the real person. The service lists reasons people impersonate others online: fraud and scams, bullying and harassment, spreading misinformation and identity theft.
Signs of impersonation
Report Harmful Content suggests looking for inconsistencies in the profile details, such as incorrect or missing personal information, and verifying with the real person through another known and verified method if impersonation of someone else is suspected. Its example about verification marks refers to the blue tick on an influencer’s account. This site’s guide to dating site verification badges covers what those badges do and do not show.
If it is your own identity being used
Report Harmful Content lists three actions for someone being impersonated:
- Report the account. Most platforms have a process for reporting impersonation, and the service links to the relevant pages, including those for Tinder, Hinge and Plenty of Fish.
- Inform contacts. Tell friends and followers that the fake profile is not the person, to prevent anyone from falling for a potential scam.
- Strengthen privacy. Use strong, unique passwords and two-factor authentication.
It also advises keeping personal information private, and periodically searching for your own name and checking social media platforms for unauthorised accounts.
How Tinder asks for reports
Tinder’s help page says the platform does not allow users to impersonate, or misrepresent affiliation, connection or association with, any person or entity. For someone who is being impersonated, it says to report it using its form, selecting “Someone is impersonating me” from the dropdown, and to add all the requested information, including any details about the impersonator’s profile. If someone else is being impersonated, Tinder says it needs to communicate with that person directly, so the person should be encouraged to contact its team, and in the meantime the profile can be reported directly on Tinder. Where the person being impersonated is someone the reporter is authorised to represent, such as a child or client, the reporter should contact Tinder through the form.
How Hinge asks for reports
Hinge’s help page (last updated 23 December 2025) says that if someone is pretending to be you or someone you know, you should report the profile with as much detail as possible. From the Submit a Request form, the person selects “Safety and Reporting” as the issue and includes:
- the reason for the report;
- the exact name, age, bio and photos on the impersonating profile, with screenshots helping;
- extra details that could help identify and remove the profile, such as its location, phone number or email address.
If someone else is being impersonated, Hinge asks them to report directly, though a parent or legal representative authorised to act for them can submit a report too.
Practical steps before reporting
Both platform pages ask for identifying detail about the fake profile, so it helps to collect it first. Hinge asks for the exact name, age, bio and photos on the profile, with screenshots, and any contact details or location it shows. Tinder asks for all the requested information, including any details about the impersonator’s profile.
Where the fake profile is being used to request money, harass others or threaten the real person, the matter goes beyond a platform report. The routes for that are in this site’s guides to catfishing and romance scams and stalking law and support.
Frequently asked questions
Can a friend report a fake profile using my photos?
Tinder says a friend can report the profile directly on the app while the person being impersonated contacts its team through the form, and Hinge asks the person being impersonated to report directly.
Does a dating app have to remove the profile?
The platform pages describe their policies and reporting steps. They do not set out a timescale or a guaranteed outcome.
The bottom line
If a dating profile uses someone else’s photos and details, Report Harmful Content advises reporting the account through the platform’s process, telling contacts and tightening account security. Tinder and Hinge each ask the person being impersonated to report directly through a form and to supply as much identifying detail as possible, with screenshots on Hinge. Platform procedures can change, so the current help page on each app is the place to start.