What to do if you shared a selfie verification
Selfie or 'verification' images can be misused for identity fraud. Treat the accounts involved as at risk.
Quick answer
Selfie or 'verification' images can be misused for identity fraud. Treat the accounts involved as at risk.
- Note where and how the selfie was used
- Secure any account that used selfie verification
- Enable two-factor authentication
- Save evidence
Do this now
Contact providers that use selfie verification for your accounts.
Understanding what happened
Many services verify identity with a selfie or a short 'liveness' video, sometimes alongside an ID document. If you sent one to a scammer - often during a fake job, account-recovery, or crypto-platform 'verification' - they may try to use it to pass identity checks or unlock accounts in your name.
On its own, a selfie is less powerful than a full ID document, but combined with details you may also have shared (name, date of birth, ID number) it raises the risk of identity theft and account takeover. Some scams specifically collect selfie-plus-ID to defeat automated checks.
You can't recall the image, so the focus is on limiting what it can unlock: securing the accounts involved, watching for identity-check attempts, and monitoring your credit where that's available. The steps below walk through this calmly and in order.
First 5 minutes
- Note where and how the selfie was used
- Secure any account that used selfie verification
- Enable two-factor authentication
- Save evidence
First 24 hours
- Monitor for impersonation or new-account activity
- Contact affected providers
- Use identity-theft support if available
- Report the incident
What not to do
- Do not pay anyone who promises to recover your money for an upfront fee
- Do not act on follow-up messages claiming to be the fraud team
- Do not delete evidence before saving it
Evidence to save
- Screenshots of the message and sender details
- Phone numbers, usernames, links, and account or wallet addresses
- Transaction references, receipts, and amounts
How to report
Report through official channels for your area.
Find official reporting links for your country in the reporting directory.
- Do not use phone numbers or links from the suspicious message - look up the official ones yourself.
- Report quickly if money was sent or ID documents were shared; speed improves your options.
- Keep your evidence - see how to save scam evidence.
Beware of recovery scams: no legitimate service guarantees getting your money back for an upfront fee.
This is general safety information, not legal, financial, or cybersecurity incident-response advice.
Frequently asked questions
How quickly should I act?
As soon as possible. Fast action - especially contacting your bank - gives the best chance of limiting harm or stopping a payment.
Will I get my money back?
Sometimes, if you act quickly, but there is no guarantee. Be very cautious of anyone who promises guaranteed recovery for an upfront fee - that is a recovery scam.