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.

Where's the most effective place to report spam emails?

Your first stop is always your own email provider (the 'Report spam' button). If the email contains phishing or malware, also report it to APWG (reportphishing@apwg.org) and submit the linked URL to Fraudpol for takedown.

What's the difference between reporting spam and reporting phishing?

Spam is unwanted advertising: reporting it to your provider is enough. Phishing tries to steal credentials: it also needs to go to APWG and your national CERT, with the landing page reported to Fraudpol for takedown.

Does reporting spam actually help?

Yes. Providers train their filters with every report. During phishing waves, collective reporting leads to millions of similar emails being blocked within hours.

What should I do about invoice spam (fake Amazon, DHL, or bank emails)?

Don't click, forward it as an attachment to your provider and to APWG. Report the linked fake site (the login form) to Fraudpol: that's the actual damage that a takedown stops.

How do I report spam text messages?

Forward the SMS to 7726 (a free spam-reporting service run by carriers). Also submit any included URL to Fraudpol: smishing landing pages usually run on the same hosting networks as classic phishing.

Do I need to keep spam emails?

No, not for reporting purposes. After forwarding it to your provider and APWG, the email can be deleted. Only save it as .eml if there's been financial harm, for a formal complaint.

Report a spam email: train filters, take the site offline

Reporting spam to your provider trains its filters. Phishing content goes to APWG and your national CERT. The linked fake site goes to Fraudpol for a hosting takedown: so the attack infrastructure actually disappears.

Report URL to Fraudpol Just phishing? →

Report a spam email in 6 steps

Step 1

Don't open or reply to the spam email

Never click any links or images inside it. Even loading external images confirms to the sender that your address is active and increases the amount of spam you receive.

Step 2

Report it as an attachment to your email provider

GMX/Web.de: 'Report spam' button. Gmail: 'Report spam'. Outlook: 'Junk email'. Providers train their filters using these reports: every report protects other recipients.

Step 3

For phishing, also report it to APWG

Does the spam email contain login requests, invoices, or malware attachments? Forward it as an attachment to reportphishing@apwg.org. APWG turns it into blocklist entries for browsers and mail filters worldwide.

Step 4

Involve your national CERT

phishing@verbraucherzentrale.nrw collects scam emails and publishes weekly warnings. Ideal for invoice and parcel-notification scams.

Step 5

Report the linked site to Fraudpol for takedown

Provider filters only reduce delivery: the site behind the email stays online. Submit the URL to Fraudpol: a hosting takedown starts automatically, with status updates by email.

Step 6

Train your own inbox's spam filter

In addition to reporting to your provider: block the sender and set up a filter rule. For recurring waves of spam from one domain, block the domain.

The right places to report spam and scam emails

Providers filter, blocklists and CERTs analyse, Fraudpol takes the linked site offline: reporting to all three works fastest.

Your email providerFiltering

Gmail, Outlook, iCloud, Yahoo, Proton: all have a 'Report spam' button. Every report trains the filters for all of that platform's users.

APWG (international)Blocklist

reportphishing@apwg.org: the central international reporting address for phishing and scam emails. Reports feed browser and mail filters worldwide.

apwg.org/reportphishing

Your national CERT / cybersecurity agencyWarning

National CERTs publish warnings about current scam waves (parcels, banks, government agencies). Find the team for your country in the FIRST directory.

first.org/members

FraudpolTakedown

Submits the site linked in the spam email to the host and registrar for removal. Without a takedown, the attack infrastructure stays active despite filters.

Report URL to Fraudpol

Frequently asked questions about spam reporting

Report the linked fake site now

Providers filter the email: Fraudpol takes down the site behind it. In under two minutes, free.

Report URL to Fraudpol Found a fake shop? →