# How do I spot a fake brand collaboration or ambassador DM?

> Be careful with brand DMs that ask you to pay a fee, log in through a link, or decide fast, because real brands do not charge you to collaborate. Replavia does not screen your DMs for scams.

- Topic: Account safety
- In the app: Open Messages from brands — https://app.replavia.com/collab/messages
- Last checked: 2026-10-29
- Web page: https://replavia.com/help/spot-fake-brand-collab-scams

Getting a brand offer feels great, which is exactly why scammers copy them. Many creators get “ambassador” DMs that are not what they seem.

## Warning signs

Slow down if a message does any of these:

- **Asks you to pay.** A fee to join, a “starter kit” you must buy, or shipping you must pay first. Real brands do not charge you to work with them.
- **Asks you to log in.** A link that wants your Instagram password or a login code. No real brand needs your password.
- **Comes from a lookalike handle.** Extra letters, dots, underscores or numbers next to a real brand name. Check the official account from the brand’s own website.
- **Rushes you.** “Only today”, “last spot left”, or pressure to decide before you can check.
- **Stays vague.** No clear product, no budget, no name of a real person, and a free email address.
- **Offers a commission instead of a fee.** “Ambassador” often means you buy the products and earn a discount code.

## What to do

1. Do not click links or share codes until you have checked.
2. Find the brand’s official website, and contact the brand from there.
3. Ask for a written brief with the deliverables, the dates and the payment.
4. If it is a scam, report the account in the Instagram app.

## What Replavia does, and does not do

Replavia does not read your DMs to find scams. It does not check whether an account is a fake brand. Please use your own judgement on every offer.

There is one place where Replavia helps. On Pro and Scale, your [media kit](https://replavia.com/help/media-kit) has an order form for brands. That form runs a bot check from Cloudflare, so fewer automated spam messages get through.

Each message lands in **Messages from brands**, with the brand name and reply email the sender typed. The bot check stops automated spam. It cannot prove a person is who they say they are. Check the brand the same way before you agree to anything. See [How brands order from your media kit](https://replavia.com/help/brand-orders).

## Good to know

- No payment for a brand deal passes through Replavia. It takes no commission and holds no money.
- Scam comments under your posts are a different problem. See [Bots keep leaving scam comments](https://replavia.com/help/clean-up-scam-and-bot-comments).
- Replavia will never ask for your Instagram password. You connect through Instagram’s own login page.