Is this the shop's real Instagram? Check if their website links back

Why this check works

Instagram lets anyone add links to their profile. It doesn't check that the website belongs to them. A fake account can copy a real shop's name, photos and website link in a few minutes. What it can't change is the real shop's own website, which links to the real shop's account.

That's how copies of real shops get away with it. In July 2026 police in Kancheepuram arrested a former salesman who had set up an Instagram page in the name of the silk showroom he used to work at. He filled it with photos and videos taken from the showroom's official account. A buyer from Salem paid ₹7,000 for a silk saree and was sent a cheap one instead. In Delhi a woman paid ₹11,500 to an account claiming to represent a popular fashion brand and got nothing.

Both accounts looked like the shop. Neither was the account the shop's website links to.

How common it is

Of the 41,055 sellers in India that VouchKart had checked by 3 Nov 2026, 13,057 have a website that was live when we read it. Of those:

Links back to the same account: 76% (9,966 shops)

Links to a different account: 7% (971 shops)

No link to their Instagram: 12% (1,564 shops)

• 76%Links back to the same account9,966 shops
• 7%Links to a different account971 shops
• 12%No link to their Instagram1,564 shops

Out of 13,057 sellers in India with a live website, as of 3 Nov 2026. A site that links to the seller's earlier handle counts as linking back.

Most real shops link both ways: 76% of the websites we read point back to the same Instagram account. About 1 in 5 don't. That's common enough that a missing link isn't proof of anything. It's rare enough to be worth a minute of checking.

When the website links to a different account

This is often harmless. Common reasons:

• A sister store or the main brand. A shop with a separate account for sarees and one for jewellery may only link one of them.
• An old account. The shop moved to a new account and never updated the website.
• The agency that built the site. Small print like "Designed by" often links to the web designer's Instagram, not the shop's.
• A reseller. A shop selling another brand's products may put that brand's website in its bio. The brand's site will link to the brand, not to the reseller.

It's a warning sign when the website links to an account with almost the same name, the same photos and more history than the one you're on. Then you may be looking at the copy. Message the account the website links to before you pay anyone.

When there's no Instagram link at all

Plenty of small shops never add one. Some website templates come with an Instagram icon that points nowhere until the owner fills it in. Many never do.

It matters more when the website is a big brand's site and the Instagram account calls itself something like "brand_official_sale" or "brand.outlet.india". A real brand links its real accounts. An account it doesn't link to that offers its products at half price is very unlikely to be the brand.

What a two-way link doesn't prove

A link both ways shows the same people run the website and the Instagram account. It doesn't show they're honest. Someone can set up a fake shop with its own website and link the two in an afternoon.

So treat a two-way link as one good sign, not a pass. Check how old the website is too. A shop that says it's been selling for years but registered its website last month needs care. VouchKart seller pages show when a website was registered.

Less worrying, worth a closer look or a red flag

• ✓

  Less worrying

  The website links to this exact account. The site has been around for a while and its phone number matches the one in their bio.

• i

  Worth a closer look

  The website doesn't mention this account or links to a different one with no obvious reason. Ask the shop through the contact details on its website whether this account is theirs.

• !

  Red flag

  The website links to a near-identical account. Or their bio links a big brand's site that doesn't mention this account at all. Even more so if they want advance payment by UPI or QR code in DMs.

How to check if an Instagram shop is the real one

1. Find the website yourself. Search the shop's name on Google, not only the link in their bio. A copy can put a look-alike website in its bio too.
2. Tap the Instagram icon on the website. It's usually at the bottom of the page or on the contact page. It should open the account you're on.
3. Compare the handles letter by letter. Copies swap or double a letter, add an underscore or tack on words like "official", "store", "sale" or "india".
4. Match the phone number. The number in their bio or on WhatsApp should be the one on the website's contact page.
5. Ask through the website, not the DMs. Use the email or number on the website to ask whether the Instagram account is theirs. A copy can't answer for the real shop.
6. Prefer the website's checkout. If the shop takes orders on its website, be wary of an account that asks you to pay by UPI in DMs instead.
7. Look them up on VouchKart. Seller pages show whether their website links back, when the site was registered and what other buyers say.

If something goes wrong

If you've paid and the seller blocks you, call 1930 straight away and see what to do after a UPI scam. If the seller still replies but won't fix a problem, complain to the National Consumer Helpline on 1915 or on WhatsApp at 8800001915.

If you think an account is copying a real shop, report it on Instagram as pretending to be someone else. Tell the real shop too. Instagram's impersonation form is meant for the business being copied. They're best placed to get the account taken down.

Then find the seller on VouchKart and leave a review so the next buyer knows which account is real.

These figures come from VouchKart's snapshot of 41,055 checked sellers in India as of 3 Nov 2026. We read each seller's website and look for a link to their Instagram account. This guide is general information, not legal advice. How we check sellers.