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Finding a fake picture of yourself online is frightening. The order of what you do next matters. Save the evidence first, because once you report it the post may disappear, and so can the proof the police need.
What should you do first if someone morphs your photo?
Collect the evidence before you report, reply or block anyone. Use this checklist:
Screenshot the post so the account name, date and time are visible.
Copy the link to the post and to the profile, and paste both into a note.
Screenshot any messages, threats or demands, with the sender's username or number.
Write down every group, page or app where you have seen the image.
Keep everything in one folder and email a copy to yourself or a parent.
Then stop. Do not reply, argue, pay or send anything the person asks for. Do not forward the image to friends to warn them, because every forward spreads it further.
How do you get a morphed photo taken down?
Report it inside the app first, choosing the option for impersonation, nudity or harassment. Under the IT Rules, 2021, as updated by MeitY on 10 February 2026, every platform must publish the name of its Grievance Officer and a way for a victim to complain.
The same rules (rule 3(2)(b)) say that within two hours of a complaint, a platform must take all reasonable and practicable steps to remove or block content that shows a person nude or in a sexual act, or impersonates them, "including artificially morphed images". Before the February 2026 change, the limit was 24 hours. A parent can file the complaint for you, because the rule covers a complaint made by "any person on his behalf".
Two more points from the same rules help you:
A platform that removes content must keep it and the related records for 180 days for investigation, so a takedown does not destroy the evidence.
If the Grievance Officer rejects or ignores your complaint, you can appeal to the Grievance Appellate Committee within 30 days.
If the fake is sexual and you have a copy, you can also ask platforms to watch for re-uploads. Take It Down, run by the US National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, is for nude or sexual images of you from when you were under 18. StopNCII is for people who were 18 or older. Both make a digital fingerprint (a hash) of the image on your own device and share only that hash with the platforms that take part. Other sites are not covered.
Who should you tell, and what do you say?
Tell an adult you trust today: a parent, a teacher or the school counsellor. You do not have to show them the image. Here is a script you can use:
"Something happened online and I need your help."
"Someone made a fake picture of me with AI and shared it. I did not do anything wrong."
"I have saved screenshots and links."
"Can you help me report it today?"
Parents, your first words decide whether your child tells you next time. Try: "Thank you for telling me. You are not in trouble. We will sort this out together." If your child is scared of telling school, our guide on what to do when a child is afraid to tell a teacher about bullying has a plan. For the longer conversation later, see how to talk to your teen about deepfakes and photo sharing.
How do you report it on the cybercrime portal?
The National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal is run by the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Press Information Bureau says it has a special focus on cyber crimes against women and children. The national cyber crime helpline, 1930, is toll-free.
A simple way to file:
Sit down with a parent or another adult you trust.
If there is a section for crimes against women or children and it fits, choose it.
Upload your screenshots and paste the links from your evidence folder.
Describe what happened in plain words, with dates.
Save the complaint number and keep it with your evidence.
You can also go to your nearest police station with the same folder.
How do you look after yourself while it is being sorted?
Feeling scared, ashamed or angry is normal. Talk to someone. If the feelings stay heavy, Tele MANAS, the government's free mental health helpline, is on 14416 and offers counselling in many Indian languages.
Later, our guide on how to spot fake news and AI images shows how fakes are caught. And when you are ready to get back to studying, Fermi's AI tutor can work out what you already know and build a plan for the session, so you return to one clear next step.
