Can I sue someone for creating a fake social media profile using my identity?

Yes, creating a fake profile impersonating someone else, particularly using their photos and identity details without permission, can amount to identity theft and cheating by personation under the IT Act and related criminal law provisions, and you can file a police complaint or report it through the cyber crime portal.

Beyond the criminal complaint, most social media platforms have dedicated reporting mechanisms for impersonation, and reporting directly to the platform can often get the fake account taken down relatively quickly, sometimes faster than waiting for the outcome of a formal legal process.

If the impersonation has caused you specific harm — reputational damage, harassment of people who believed they were interacting with you, financial loss if the impersonator solicited money from your contacts — you may also have grounds for a civil claim for damages. Document the fake profile thoroughly (screenshots, URLs, any messages sent from it) before reporting, since platforms sometimes remove content quickly once flagged, and you'll want this evidence preserved for any legal action.