How to report websites selling counterfeit goods (2026 guide)

A customer finds what appears to be your official online store. The website uses your logo, product photography, descriptions, and branding. The prices are unusually low, but the checkout works and the site looks convincing.

The customer may receive a poor-quality replica, lose their payment entirely, or unknowingly submit personal information to a fraudulent operator. In each case, your legitimate brand may receive the complaint.

Websites selling counterfeit goods are not always simple product pages. They can be complete fake webshops supported by lookalike domains, paid advertisements, social media accounts, payment processors, and copied customer-service content.

Reporting the site is therefore only one part of the response. Brands must identify the services keeping it online, select the correct legal or policy basis, preserve evidence, and monitor for replacement domains.

This guide explains how to report websites selling counterfeit goods, take down fake webshops, and respond to replica clothing sites that repeatedly return under new identities.

TL;DR

• Preserve the website before reporting it, including page-level URLs, screenshots, copied content, checkout details, advertisements, and customer complaints.
• Confirm that the goods are counterfeit rather than merely unauthorized, discounted, second-hand, or gray-market products.
• Identify the hosting provider, domain registrar, website platform, payment processor, advertising accounts, and connected social profiles.
• Use trademark complaints for confusing use of protected branding and copyright complaints for copied photographs, videos, text, or designs.
• A DMCA notice addresses copyright infringement. It is not a general counterfeit or trademark complaint.
• Report the hosting provider and website platform when their services contain or deliver the infringing content.
• Report the registrar when the domain itself is abusive or violates the registrar’s policies, but remember that registrars do not normally control website content.
• Google accepts requests from trademark owners and authorized representatives to remove specific pages selling counterfeit goods from Search.
• Report paid advertisements, social media promotions, and payment services separately so the seller cannot continue generating traffic or accepting payments.
• Consider a UDRP complaint when the domain name targets your trademark and meets the required bad-faith criteria.
• Report organized or dangerous counterfeiting to the appropriate customs or law-enforcement authority.
• Monitor for cloned websites after enforcement. Counterfeiters can reuse the same content under a new domain within hours.

What is a counterfeit website?

A counterfeit website sells products that bear a trademark, logo, packaging design, or other protected brand feature without authorization and are presented as genuine.

Some counterfeit websites openly advertise “replicas,” “dupes,” or “1:1 copies.” Others imitate an official retailer and conceal the fact that the products are fake.

The second category creates an additional website spoofing risk because customers may believe the entire store is operated by the genuine brand.

Counterfeit website vs. fake webshop

The terms overlap, but they do not always describe the same conduct.

A counterfeit website sells unauthorized copies of branded products. A fake webshop may:

• Sell counterfeit goods
• Take payments without supplying any product
• Copy a real business to steal customer information
• Advertise products that do not exist
• Redirect customers to another fraudulent service
• Impersonate an authorized retailer

A webshop can therefore be fraudulent without selling physical counterfeits. It may also combine counterfeiting, impersonation, copyright infringement, and payment fraud in one operation.

Counterfeit goods vs. unauthorized goods

An unauthorized seller is not automatically a counterfeiter.

A seller may offer genuine products without the brand’s permission. This can create distribution, pricing, warranty, or contractual problems, but it does not necessarily mean the goods are fake.

Before submitting a counterfeit complaint, determine whether the products are:

Product type	Meaning	Likely enforcement basis
Counterfeit	Unauthorized copies presented using protected branding	Trademark, counterfeiting, fraud
Replica	Copy or imitation, often marketed as a substitute for the original	Trademark, design, copyright, counterfeiting
Gray market	Genuine goods sold outside authorized distribution channels	Contract, regional rights, regulatory issues
Second-hand	Genuine products resold after an earlier purchase	Limited unless the listing is deceptive
Customized	Genuine goods modified and resold	Depends on branding, disclosure, and jurisdiction
Non-delivery scam	Products advertised but never supplied	Fraud and consumer protection
Lookalike product	Similar design without necessarily using the protected mark	Design, copyright, trade dress, or unfair competition

Reporting genuine goods as counterfeit can undermine the complaint and may expose the reporter to legal or platform consequences.

How counterfeit websites operate

Counterfeit sellers use several methods to attract customers while making enforcement harder.

They clone legitimate stores

A fake webshop may copy:

• Logos and brand colors
• Product photographs
• Product descriptions
• Customer reviews
• Size guides
• Shipping and return policies
• Store-location information
• Contact pages
• Website layouts

The copied material helps the website look established and can provide a separate copyright basis for enforcement.

They register lookalike domains

Counterfeiters frequently register domains containing:

• Misspelled brand names
• Added words such as “outlet,” “sale,” or “official”
• Product names
• Regional abbreviations
• Hyphens or extra letters
• Visually similar characters
• Different domain extensions

A domain may look plausible when displayed in an advertisement or mobile browser, even though it is not controlled by the brand.

They manipulate search visibility

Counterfeit websites may target brand names, product models, discount-related searches, and phrases such as “replica clothing” or “designer outlet.”

Some use copied content, doorway pages, keyword variations, or temporary domains to gain visibility before search systems or rights holders identify them.

They use genuine product imagery

Copied photographs make counterfeit products appear authentic. Operators may crop, mirror, blur, recolor, or add overlays to the images to avoid exact-match detection.

Even when the website does not use a protected trademark prominently, copied photographs may support a copyright takedown.

They buy advertisements

Paid search and social media ads can place a fake shop above organic results or directly in front of the genuine brand’s audience.

The advertisement, account, landing page, and payment destination may be operated through different providers. Each component may require a separate report.

They hide or divide their infrastructure

The domain registrar, hosting provider, content-delivery network, website builder, payment processor, and advertiser may all be different companies.

Some websites also show different content depending on the visitor’s location, device, referral source, or language. This can make the counterfeit store difficult for a brand’s internal team to reproduce.

How to identify a website selling counterfeit goods

A low price or unfamiliar domain does not prove that goods are counterfeit. Look for a combination of indicators.

Signal	What to examine
Domain	Misspellings, unnecessary words, recent registration, or unrelated ownership
Branding	Copied logos, inconsistent design, distorted images, or outdated brand assets
Pricing	Large discounts across every product or prices far below normal retail levels
Catalogue	Discontinued products, impossible colorways, or items never released by the brand
Product images	Images copied from the official store, other retailers, or unrelated listings
Descriptions	Poor translations, copied text, mismatched product details, or inconsistent sizing
Contact details	Missing address, generic email, false company information, or only a contact form
Policies	Copied returns pages, contradictory shipping terms, or no legal business information
Payment	Unusual bank transfers, cryptocurrency, gift cards, or changing payment destinations
Reviews	Repeated wording, unrelated products, impossible dates, or copied customer photographs
Social accounts	Recently created profiles that exist mainly to advertise the website
Customer reports	Non-delivery, unexpected goods, payment fraud, or products confirmed as fake

For high-risk cases, a controlled test purchase may provide additional evidence about packaging, shipping origin, payment recipients, product quality, and fulfilment networks. The purchase should be coordinated with the relevant legal, security, or investigation team.

What evidence should you collect?

Preserve the website before contacting the operator or filing a report. A counterfeit seller may remove pages, change product images, block your location, or redirect the domain after receiving notice.

Collect:

• The full domain name
• The homepage URL
• Every relevant product URL
• Screenshots showing the browser address
• The date and time of each capture
• Product names, prices, and stock-keeping units
• Copied logos, photographs, text, and packaging
• Links to the genuine products and original content
• Trademark registrations
• Copyright ownership records
• Design registrations where relevant
• Evidence of authorized retailers and distribution
• Checkout and payment details
• Merchant names shown during payment
• Advertisements promoting the website
• Social media posts and profiles
• Emails and messages from the operator
• Customer complaints
• Test-purchase evidence
• Shipping labels and packaging
• Any redirects or related domains

Create a simple evidence table so each infringing URL is paired with the protected right or original material it violates.

Counterfeit URL	Violation	Original or protected asset	Evidence
Product page A	Trademark and counterfeit sale	Trademark registration	Screenshot and test purchase
Product page B	Copyright infringement	Original photograph	Side-by-side comparison
Homepage	False affiliation	Official brand website	Copied logo and wording
Checkout	Fraud risk	Customer complaint	Payment recipient and receipt

This format makes the complaint easier to review and reduces the risk that a provider overlooks relevant pages.

Who should you report a counterfeit website to?

There is no universal form that disables every part of a fake webshop.

Provider	What it controls	Possible result
Hosting provider	Website files and server access	Page or account suspension
Website platform	Storefront, content, or merchant account	Content or store removal
Domain registrar	Domain registration	Domain lock, suspension, or escalation
Registry	Top-level domain infrastructure	Limited action in serious cases
CDN or proxy	Traffic delivery and security layer	Abuse investigation or origin escalation
Search engine	Search visibility	Removal or reduced visibility
Advertising platform	Paid advertisements and advertiser account	Ad removal or account suspension
Payment provider	Payment processing	Merchant review or payment restriction
Social platform	Promotional posts, profiles, and ads	Content or account removal
Marketplace	Hosted listings or storefronts	Listing or seller enforcement
Law enforcement	Criminal investigation	Investigation, seizure, or prosecution
Customs authority	Cross-border shipments	Inspection or seizure
Domain dispute provider	Trademark-abusive domain	Domain transfer or cancellation

The strongest response normally combines several of these routes.

How to report websites selling counterfeit goods

Step 1: Preserve the website and connected activity

Capture the website before doing anything that may alert the operator.

Record individual product pages rather than only the homepage. Include any pages containing copied content, false claims of authorization, checkout forms, or customer-service information.

Capture the advertisement or social post that led to the site as well. The promotional channel may disappear before the website does.

Step 2: Confirm the products are counterfeit

Document why the products are not genuine.

Useful evidence may include:

• A test purchase
• Incorrect materials or manufacturing details
• Packaging differences
• Invalid serial numbers
• Products the brand never manufactured
• False colorways or model names
• Unauthorized use of the trademark
• Prices inconsistent with any legitimate supply chain
• Shipping from a known counterfeit source
• Expert authentication
• Customer photographs

Do not base the report solely on the seller being unauthorized.

Step 3: Identify the website’s providers

Use ICANN Lookup to identify available domain-registration information and the responsible registrar. ICANN’s tool provides current registration data for domain names, although privacy services may hide the registrant’s identity

Then identify:

• The hosting provider
• Website builder or ecommerce platform
• CDN or proxy
• Nameservers
• Payment processor
• Analytics or advertising services
• Connected social accounts

The registrar and host are not necessarily the same company. The registrar manages the domain registration, while the host normally stores or delivers the website content.

Step 4: Choose the strongest reporting basis

Select the violation that is easiest to demonstrate with evidence.

Trademark and counterfeit complaint

Use trademark or counterfeit reporting when the website:

• Places your mark on fake products
• Claims to be an official store
• Uses your branding to create confusion
• Promotes unauthorized copies as genuine
• Uses a confusing domain to sell fake goods

Include the relevant registration numbers, jurisdictions, goods or services, and examples of confusing use.

Copyright complaint

Use copyright when the website copies original:

• Product photographs
• Website text
• Videos
• Artwork
• Graphics
• Size charts
• Illustrations
• Catalogues

A DMCA notice is a copyright process. It should not be used solely because a product is counterfeit or because a trademark appears on the site.

For copied content, follow a properly documented DMCA process.

Fraud or phishing complaint

Use a fraud, phishing, or security route when the site:

• Collects payments without delivering goods
• Steals login credentials
• Requests verification codes
• Uses a fake customer-service portal
• Installs malware
• Redirects users to malicious pages

A phishing report should focus on credential or data theft rather than general trademark infringement. The complete phishing workflow covers the relevant security routes.

Step 5: Report the hosting provider and website platform

The host or ecommerce platform is often the most direct route for removing website content.

Use the provider’s dedicated abuse, trademark, copyright, counterfeit, or fraud form. Include:

• Your contact details
• Your authority to act
• The full domain
• Page-level URLs
• The exact violation
• Trademark or copyright records
• Side-by-side evidence
• Customer harm
• Any urgent safety risks

Do not send the same generic statement to every provider. Adapt the complaint to the service’s role and policy.

A hosting provider can investigate content stored on its systems. A website builder can investigate the merchant account. A CDN may be able to forward the report or act under its abuse rules but may not control the underlying content.

Step 6: Report the domain registrar

Report the registrar when the domain itself is part of the abuse, particularly where it:

• Contains a confusing version of your trademark
• Supports an impersonating store
• Is used for fraud, phishing, or malware
• Violates the registrar’s acceptable-use rules
• Uses clearly false registration information
• Is part of a repeat network of abusive domains

Provide the domain, evidence, relevant rights, hosting report references, and any security or criminal indicators.

Registrars do not normally decide every trademark or content dispute. Some may refer rights holders to the host, a court, or a domain-dispute procedure. This does not mean the report was pointless; it helps document the abuse and identify the appropriate escalation route.

Step 7: Report the counterfeit pages to Google

Trademark owners and authorized representatives can use Google’s counterfeit report to request removal of specific pages selling counterfeit goods from Google Search. The process asks for rights information and the URLs at issue.

Report individual product pages, not only the domain homepage.

Google may remove the reported pages from its Search results, but this does not delete the website or cancel its domain. Continue pursuing the host, platform, registrar, and other providers.

For spam, phishing, or malware, use the relevant Google reporting route.

The broader Google reporting guide explains how the available routes differ.

Step 8: Report advertisements and shopping listings

Search, display, shopping, and social advertisements may be the counterfeit store’s main source of traffic.

Save:

• The ad creative
• Headline and description
• Displayed domain
• Final landing-page URL
• Advertiser name or account
• Date, location, and search query
• Screenshots of the full result

Google prohibits advertising counterfeit goods and provides a route for reporting suspected violations.

Report each advertising platform separately. Removing an organic search result does not automatically remove a paid advertisement.

Step 9: Report the payment provider

Open the checkout carefully without submitting sensitive information. Identify the payment processor through branding, URLs, merchant descriptors, or payment options.

Provide the processor with:

• The counterfeit domain
• Product pages
• Trademark information
• Test-purchase records
• Transaction references
• Merchant name
• Customer complaints
• Evidence of non-delivery or fake goods

Payment providers may investigate or restrict the merchant account. They may not disclose the result because of privacy, contractual, or legal requirements.

Customers who submitted payment details should contact their bank or card issuer immediately rather than waiting for the website report to be resolved.

Step 10: Report social media accounts promoting the site

Counterfeit sellers commonly use social media profiles, posts, influencers, groups, livestreams, and paid ads to drive visitors to the store.

Capture the profile URL, post URL, account handle, advertisement, and destination page before submitting the report.

Use the violation that best matches the content:

• Counterfeit sales
• Trademark infringement
• Copyright infringement
• Impersonation
• Fraud
• Scam advertising

Follow a separate social media takedown for each platform. Removing the website does not automatically remove its promotional accounts.

Step 11: Consider a UDRP complaint

A UDRP complaint may be appropriate when the domain name itself targets your trademark.

Under ICANN’s policy, a complainant generally needs to establish that:

1. The domain is identical or confusingly similar to a mark in which the complainant has rights.
2. The registrant has no rights or legitimate interests in the domain.
3. The domain was registered and is being used in bad faith.

A successful UDRP case can result in the domain being transferred or cancelled. It does not award damages or directly remove counterfeit stock.

UDRP is more suitable for an abusive domain than for a legitimate domain containing one infringing product page. Legal advice may be necessary for high-value or contested cases.

Step 12: Report serious counterfeiting to authorities

Escalate cases involving organized networks, dangerous products, repeated fraud, substantial losses, or cross-border distribution.

Depending on the jurisdiction, this may include:

• Customs authorities
• Consumer-protection agencies
• Police or cybercrime units
• Intellectual-property crime units
• Product-safety regulators
• Financial-crime authorities

In the United States, suspected counterfeiting and IP theft can be reported through the IPR Center.

Provide organized evidence and explain the scale, location, products, financial activity, and public-safety risk. Authorities are less likely to act on an unsupported URL submitted without context.

How to report a fake webshop effectively

A strong complaint connects each piece of evidence to a specific violation.

Weak wording:

This website is fake and sells copies of our products. Take it down immediately.

Stronger wording:

The reported website uses our registered trademark to present itself as an authorized store and offers products bearing that mark without authorization. A test purchase confirmed that the supplied product is counterfeit. The website also reproduces our original product photographs. The trademark registration, product comparison, test-purchase evidence, original photographs, customer complaints, and affected URLs are attached.

For a non-delivery shop:

The reported website copies our branding and product catalogue to present itself as our company. It is not operated by or affiliated with us. Customers have submitted payments and received no goods. The official website, copied pages, payment records, customer complaints, and affected URLs are attached.

The report should explain:

• Who owns the relevant rights
• Who is submitting the complaint
• What the website is doing
• Which URLs violate the rights or policy
• Why the goods are counterfeit
• How customers are being misled
• What evidence supports the claim
• What action is requested

Avoid long descriptions that do not identify the exact pages or rights involved.

How to report replica clothing websites

Replica clothing sites present several fashion-specific enforcement challenges.

They may advertise:

• “1:1” copies
• Mirror-quality products
• Unauthorized logo garments
• Fake designer accessories
• Copies of protected prints
• Counterfeit labels and packaging
• Products using official campaign photography
• Nonexistent styles presented as genuine releases

The word “replica” alone does not determine the legal position. Focus on the product, branding, images, design rights, and way the website presents the goods.

Evidence for a replica clothing complaint

Collect:

• Trademark registrations for names and logos
• Design registrations where applicable
• Copyright ownership for prints and photographs
• Genuine product specifications
• Stitching, labels, materials, and hardware comparisons
• Packaging differences
• Serial or authentication results
• Official colorways and release records
• Authorized retailer lists
• Test-purchase photographs
• Shipping origin and sender details

Clothing sites frequently copy images from the official store while supplying a different product. Preserve the online listing and the delivered item because together they may show both copyright infringement and counterfeiting.

Report the complete sales network

Replica clothing sellers often promote the same catalogue through:

• Multiple domains
• Social media profiles
• Messaging applications
• Private groups
• Marketplace accounts
• Influencer pages
• Search and social advertisements

Report the supporting network rather than treating every domain as an isolated case.

What happens after a counterfeit website report?

Possible outcomes include:

• Removal of specific product pages
• Suspension of the hosting account
• Closure of the ecommerce store
• Removal from search results
• Advertising-account suspension
• Payment-account investigation
• Domain suspension
• A request for additional evidence
• Rejection because the wrong route was used
• Rejection because counterfeiting was not established
• A counter-notice or challenge
• No visible action

Record:

• The provider
• Submission date
• Report type
• Case reference
• URLs reported
• Evidence included
• Response
• Outcome
• Follow-up date

Do not assume that no visible response means no action occurred. A payment provider or authority may investigate without sharing details.

What if the counterfeit website is not removed?

Review the provider’s response

Determine whether:

• The wrong form was selected
• Page-level URLs were missing
• The trademark was not registered for the relevant goods
• Copyright ownership was unclear
• Authorization to act was not established
• The counterfeit claim relied only on price
• The provider does not control the reported service
• The complaint concerns genuine gray-market products
• A legal exception may apply

Correct the specific deficiency rather than resubmitting the same complaint.

Escalate to another provider

The host, registrar, search engine, payment processor, and advertising platform control different parts of the operation.

One provider’s refusal does not prevent a valid complaint to another provider whose service is being abused.

Send a formal notice

A cease-and-desist letter or formal legal notice may be appropriate when the operator can be identified.

For complex cases involving multiple rights or jurisdictions, follow a broader legal takedown process.

Seek a court order

Litigation may be necessary where:

• The infringement causes substantial commercial harm
• The operator repeatedly relaunches
• Providers require a binding order
• Damages or disclosure are required
• A network of related sellers is involved
• Emergency relief is necessary

Court action is different from a standard platform complaint and should be assessed with qualified legal counsel.

Why counterfeit websites keep returning

Counterfeiters can reuse the same catalogue, templates, images, payment contacts, and advertisements under new domains.

A replacement site may use:

• A slightly different domain
• A new hosting provider
• A new merchant account
• A cloned social profile
• The same analytics identifier
• The same phone number or email
• The same product photographs
• The same nameservers
• The same shipping origin

Create detection rules based on these recurring signals.

Continuous domain monitoring is more effective than repeatedly searching only for an exact brand name.

Common mistakes when reporting counterfeit websites

Reporting an unauthorized seller as a counterfeiter

A lack of authorization does not prove that goods are fake.

Verify the product or use a different enforcement basis.

Using a DMCA notice for trademark infringement

DMCA notices address copyright. Use them for copied photographs, text, graphics, videos, or other protected works.

Use a trademark or counterfeit route for fake branded products.

Reporting only the homepage

The evidence usually appears on individual product, checkout, contact, or policy pages.

Include every relevant URL.

Assuming the registrar hosts the website

The registrar manages the domain registration. The host or website platform normally controls the content.

Report each provider based on its actual role.

Asking Google to take down the website

Google can remove or restrict visibility within its products. It does not normally delete the underlying website.

Continue reporting the site’s infrastructure.

Ignoring advertisements and payments

A seller may survive a partial website takedown if it can redirect advertisements to another domain or continue processing payments elsewhere.

Report the full commercial operation.

Contacting the seller before preserving evidence

The seller may remove products, block your investigators, or move to another domain.

Capture the complete case first.

Failing to monitor for replacement domains

A successful takedown is not the end of a repeat-counterfeiting campaign.

Track the copied assets, infrastructure, and operator identifiers used across the network.

How Red Points removes counterfeit websites at scale

Manual reporting can work for one clearly documented site. It becomes difficult when counterfeiters operate through multiple domains, social accounts, advertisements, marketplaces, and payment services.

Red Points’ Counterfeit Protection solution helps brands:

• Detect counterfeit products across websites and marketplaces
• Find lookalike and impersonating domains
• Identify copied logos, images, and product content
• Connect related sellers and websites
• Prioritize high-risk infringements
• Generate and submit enforcement requests
• Track report outcomes
• Detect replacement domains and repeat sellers

Its Domain Takedown capabilities also help brands identify and act against domains used for impersonation, phishing, and counterfeit sales.Red Points processes 5.1M+ enforcements per year, including counterfeit products, fake websites, and domains across thousands of channels. A validation layer filters false positives before any enforcement action is submitted — so only confirmed infringements are actioned

Request a demo to see how Red Points can help detect and remove counterfeit websites targeting your brand.

Frequently asked questions