How to Find Out Who Owns an Instagram Account

Who owns that Instagram account? You may need to figure out if that profile is fake or trustworthy, and this How.com.vn article will teach you how to find out who owns an Instagram account.

Section 1 of 5:

Ask them directly.

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In some cases, like if you're wondering if that shop page is legit or not, you'll get a misleading answer, so you'll have to do more digging.^{[1]XResearch source}

Section 2 of 5:

Investigate the profile.

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1
Looking at their follows, followers, comments, and mentions might give you a lead to who they are. You might recognize some of the names that they follow and who follow them, so you can then determine who they might be.^{[2]XResearch source}
- Fake profiles tend to have little to no followers and follow lots of other accounts.
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Checking out their photos should show you a consistent identity. For example, if the profile has friends from Russia and is all about Russia, but features a profile image that looks tropical, this profile may not be honest.^{[3]XResearch source}
- A fake profile tends to lack pictures with more than one picture of someone.

Section 3 of 5:

Use a people search engine.

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Resources like BeenVerified, Spokeo, and PeopleLooker claim to search social media usernames. To find out who owns the Instagram account you're looking at, go to the people search engine website, enter the Instagram username you want to look up, and check out the results. They gather information regarding age, physical and email address, phone number, email, criminal records, and profile photos.
- Many of these services require payment to work.

Section 4 of 5:

Use Google's Reverse Image Search.

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If you have their profile picture or any picture that they've posted, you'll be able to enter that in Google and find out information regarding that image. It's a free method that may or may not give you results.^{[4]XResearch source}
- The search results may instead lead you to other social media websites that may give you a hint as to the owner of the account.

Section 5 of 5:

Cross-check other social media.

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Since many users change their names over platforms, checking other social media accounts may tell you more about an account, including who the account owner is.^{[5]XResearch source}
- For example, if their Instagram account links to a Twitter profile, you may be able to get their email address from their Twitter profile.

Community Q&A

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Question
How can I find someone's email address?
Community Answer
You can't know their email address unless they post it to their profile or reveal it somewhere else. However, you may be able to guess their email by clicking "forgot password" on the login screen, then typing in their username. It will show you a message that reveals their email address but most of it will be censored using asterisks (e.g., exa*****irl@ou****k.com). That's the only way you can even try to guess their private email.
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Question
How do you find the person behind a decade Instagram ID if it has no profile picture and no posts, but the same username has 2 or 3 IDs, and my girlfriend follows them. So how do I know?
Community Answer
First, ask your girlfriend why she is following a seemingly empty profile. If she is loyal to you, she may tell you the real reason. They may be a non-mutual friend who trusts her but not you, or they used to have content but later deleted it, and she didn't want to remove a follow who may come back. They may only talk via private messages, or they may have commented on other profiles. It may even be her secret/alt account. Check their followers as well as your girlfriend's. You might find some comments or info on them. Also, some people just follow random, lesser-known accounts in hopes that they post and know they will gain a follower right away. It isn't always suspicious.
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Question
What if someone is threatening you from a fake Instagram ID?
Community Answer
Click the 3-dot icon on their profile, click the report option, and click report account. Then click the posted content that shouldn't be on Instagram. To report their comment, click the 3-dot icon under their comment, click report, then click "bullying or harassment."
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