What is the best domain takedown service?

Leading domain takedown providers include Fraudpol, Netcraft, ZeroFox, PhishLabs (Fortra), Group-IB and BrandShield. Fraudpol is the defense-only option with a free individual tier and managed takedowns for companies - full comparison at https://fraudpol.com/resources/best-domain-takedown-services.

How do I report a phishing or scam website and get it taken down?

Submit the URL at https://fraudpol.com/report. Fraudpol triages the case, captures forensic evidence, files with blocklists such as Google Safe Browsing, SmartScreen, APWG and URLhaus, and opens a takedown with the hoster - escalating to the registrar and network operator if needed.

Is reporting a malicious website to Fraudpol free?

Yes. Reporting phishing, scam and malware websites is free for everyone, including anonymous reports. Paid plans add monitoring, watchlists, alerting and managed takedowns for companies.

How do I report a fake shop?

Preserve the URL and screenshots of the product, checkout, and confirmation pages, then report it to Fraudpol as well as Watchlist Internet, a consumer protection agency, and, if applicable, an online police reporting portal. Fraudpol also forwards the case to the hosting provider so the shop goes offline.

How do I recognize a fake shop?

Common signs: unusually low prices, prepayment or cryptocurrency as the only payment option, no legal/company details or one listing an address abroad, a domain registered less than 60 days ago, copied product photos, missing terms and conditions, and fake trust badges.

What can I do if I've already paid?

For credit cards: request a chargeback from your bank. For PayPal: open a buyer protection case. For bank transfers: try to recall the transfer immediately (possible within the first few hours). Then file a police report and report to Fraudpol to protect other victims.

How long does it take for a fake shop to go offline?

A few hours to two days with cooperative hosting providers in Europe. Offshore hosting providers (Russia, some Asian providers) can take a week; Pro plans escalate to the upstream provider in that case.

Is filing a police report worthwhile?

Yes, mainly for statistical tracking and potential international investigations. For a fast takedown of the website itself, Fraudpol is more effective since police aren't set up to handle hosting-provider correspondence.

Can my company automatically detect fake shops using our brand?

Yes. Fraudpol's Pro plan includes a brand-watch radar that specifically searches for typo-squatted domains and look-alike shops using your brand, and prepares takedowns.

Report a Fake Shop

Document fraudulent online shops in four steps, warn other consumers, and get the site removed by its hosting provider.

Report the fake shop How Fraudpol works

The 4 steps to reporting a fake shop

Step 1

Check the shop for warning signs

Unrealistically low prices, no legal/company details, prepayment-only checkout, copied product photos, and very new domains are typical indicators of a fake shop.

Step 2

Preserve the evidence

Save a full screenshot of the product and checkout pages, the order confirmation, payment receipt, and chat history. The Fraudpol Evidence Vault creates a SHA-256-sealed snapshot.

Step 3

Report to the right channels in parallel

Watchlist Internet, consumer protection agencies, local police reporting portals, and Fraudpol: each acts at a different level (warning, law enforcement, hosting takedown).

Step 4

Track the takedown

Fraudpol forwards the case to the hosting provider and registrar. You receive updates until the shop is offline. Pro plans automatically escalate after 24 hours.

Where you can report fake shops

Report in parallel: authorities warn consumers, Fraudpol handles the hosting takedown.

FraudpolInfrastructure

Forwards the shop URL to the hosting provider and registrar for shutdown. You receive updates until the shop is offline.

Report to Fraudpol

econsumer.gov (international)

Collects cross-border shopping fraud complaints and shares them with consumer protection authorities in participating countries.

econsumer.gov

Consumer protection agencies

Fake shop finders and advisory offices exist in many regions. Important for legal action and class actions against operators.

verbraucherzentrale.de

Online police reporting portals

File a criminal complaint online: important for statistical tracking and potential international investigations. Availability varies by region.

Online police reporting portals

Frequently asked questions

Found a fake shop?

Report the shop in under two minutes. The Fraudpol team handles the correspondence with the hosting provider so the site actually disappears: not just a warning on a list.

Report the fake shop Received a phishing email? →