How to Take Down a Copycat Website & Keep Your Brand Safe

Picture this: You launch a brand-new website with high hopes for your business. Then, you discover a copycat website with a nearly identical layout and design that has stolen your content, claimed your hard-earned SEO ranking, and is now posing as your business. This is a considerable challenge. Not only does dealing with a copycat website take time away from running your business, it can also confuse and scare your customers, damage your brand’s reputation, and cost you revenue. This article will walk you through how to remove a copycat website and prevent future infringements so you can protect your brand’s reputation and revenue.

One tool that can help you achieve DMCA Takedown Google goals is Bustem copycat detection tool. This solution scans the web for copycat websites, so you can quickly uncover harmful sites and start the removal process. 

Table of Content

• What Is a Copycat Website and Why Is It Harmful?

• How Do I Get a Copycat Website Taken Down?

• Steps to Protect Your Website From Being Copied

• Find and Take Down Copycats with One-click Today

What Is a Copycat Website and Why Is It Harmful?

A copycat website tries to trick visitors into thinking they are on a legitimate site. These fraudulent online platforms mimic a target website’s design, content, and even functionality to mislead users or exploit the original creator’s work. 

Copycat websites can all look incredibly similar to the original site and try to create a sense of trust with unsuspecting visitors. They aim to deceive visitors into providing sensitive information, such as: 

• Personal details

• Financial data

• Login credentials

The consequences can range from identity theft and financial loss to reputational damage for the original website and loss of trust among consumers. 

Who Do Copycat Websites Target?

Copycat websites target any business with an online presence. From imitating popular e-commerce platforms to masquerading as reputable financial institutions or government agencies, these copycat websites aim to deceive unsuspecting visitors. 

For instance, if the original website sells products, a copycat site may mimic its design and product listings to trick customers into buying counterfeit goods. If victorious, the original webpage will lose revenue and customer trust while the copycat reaps the rewards of its fraudulent scheme. 

How to Spot a Copycat Website? 

You must know how to spot a copycat website to avoid falling into the trap. Usually, there are indicators at various points of your journey through a fake website.

Check the domain name closely. If it differs from the official website, that’s a sure indicator that something is wrong. Copycats often try to use domain names similar to the actual version to make it difficult for you to spot something wrong at first glance. 

Red Flags to Identify a Copycat Website

Scammers often build these copycat websites quickly and may ignore the details. Sometimes, you can spot a copycat website by: 

• Typos

• Strange grammar

• Awkward design 

• Layout issues

Copycats may also exaggerate elements like an official brand wouldn’t. For example, if deals look too good to be true or a group of overly positive reviews that all sound pretty similar, that should set off alarm bells. 

Why the Padlock Symbol Alone Isn’t Enough to Verify a Website

Another quick way to spot a possible copycat website is by looking in the URL bar to see whether there is a padlock symbol on the far left. Web browsers like Google Chrome, Firefox, and Safari all use security certificates (SSLs) as a measure of verification. 

The padlock symbol is a good sign that external hackers will not receive any information you give to that site. If you want to be sure you’re not on a copycat website, you should always consider the padlock alongside the other indicators we’ve mentioned.

Website Threats to Watch Out For

Spoofing a website is one of the easiest things to do, and it doesn’t require coding or advanced technical knowledge. It is also one of the oldest tricks in the books, and scammers continue to use it simply because it works.

The main methods that scammers use for website spoofing include:

Domain Name Squatting

This method involves registering a domain name similar to an existing business name or registering the same domain name but with a different website extension.

Scammers sometimes hold onto the squatted domain name without impersonating the original website just to sell it back to the business and make quick profits.

Typosquatting

With typosquatting, scammers lure customers who mistype a business’s web address. They register domains with names similar to some businesses but with a slight difference—the domain names contain a typo.

Sometimes, the typo is so tiny that you may not even notice it, mainly when directed to a website that looks almost identical to the original design and content. 

URL Cloaking 

URL cloaking involves using specialized scripts to cover up the URL and make web users think they are being led to a trusted website. Scammers can then share these cloaked URLs with unsuspecting Internet users to trick them.

Website Spoofing

Spoofing is typically used to steal sensitive information, such as personal data like: 

• Names

• Email addresses

• Even login credentials

Scammers can also steal the financial information of customers making purchases on a website, thinking it’s the original, and gain access to: 

• Credit card details

• Social security numbers

• Bank account numbers

Apart from this, scammers may also use website spoofing to sell counterfeit copies of products. They copy the business’s website design, content, product listings, and even trademarks to mimic the original website and try to sell counterfeits to unknowing customers. 

Impact of Copycat Websites on Businesses 

Brand Reputation

When unaware customers end up buying counterfeit products, assuming they are buying original products, it can severely affect their experience with your brand. The customers will eventually end up blaming your business for the counterfeits and even writing bad reviews online, which can severely affect your brand reputation.

Customer Trust

When customers genuinely interested in your business end up receiving very low-quality products, it can directly affect their perception of your products. Customers who have already been tricked into buying counterfeit products may be unlikely to make another purchase with your brand. 

Revenue Losses

Every time a counterfeit product is sold, it causes direct sales loss to your business. The problem can get even more complicated as many customers purchasing your products may not know they are buying fake products. Spoofed websites lead to: 

• Reduced traffic to your business website

• Decreased revenue

• Depleted customer loyalty

Related Reading

• Instagram DMCA
• Etsy DMCA
• Tiktok DMCA
• YouTube DMCA Takedown
• Instagram Copyright Infringement

How Do I Get a Copycat Website Taken Down?

Why Takedown a Copycat Website is Not as Easy as it Seems

It’s not as simple as just ‘taking down’ a copycat website. The process can be complex and convoluted due to various technical and legal considerations. Here are a few reasons why it isn’t easy to simply take down a website.

Ownership and Jurisdiction

Individuals, organizations, or businesses own websites and have certain legal protections. To take down a website, you must establish legal authority and jurisdiction over its owner. This can be challenging, primarily if the website is hosted in a different country with different laws.

Distributed Nature

Websites are distributed across servers and networks, making them resilient to single points of failure. Suppose you want to take down a website. In that case, you need to identify and target all the servers hosting the website's content. This can be complex, especially if the website is replicated across multiple servers or hosted on a content delivery network (CDN).

Legal Considerations

Taking down a website typically involves legal processes. Suppose a website is involved in illegal activities or infringing on intellectual property rights. In that case, the affected parties may need to pursue legal action, obtain court orders, or collaborate with law enforcement agencies to initiate takedowns. This process can be time-consuming and requires sufficient evidence and legal grounds.

Mirroring and Backups

Websites can have backups or mirrored copies in multiple locations. If you manage to take down one instance of a website, redundant copies that can quickly be restored may be available, making your takedown efforts temporary or ineffective. Taking down a website once does not mean it cannot be replicated and hosted elsewhere.

Freedom of Expression

Websites that operate within legal boundaries and promote freedom of expression, even if their content is controversial or objectionable, are protected by laws and regulations. Governments and organizations must follow due process and respect the principles of free speech before taking down such websites.

How to Take Down a Website Easily: Step-by-step Legal Guide

Investigating the Copycat Website

So, you just found out that a scammer has impersonated your site? The first thing you should do is not to panic. Although domain squatting and spoofing can be dangerous for your brand, there are ways to handle the situation and legally take down the website effectively. You can do so by following this step-by-step guide.

How to Track Down a Copycat Website’s Registrar and Host

The first step is to collect information about the website itself. Identify the registrar of the fake domain name. You can do this with WHOIS lookup tools like WhoIs.com and ICANN’s lookup tool. Be aware that many registrars shield the registrant’s personal information so that you might find generic details.

You should still see a name server address, though. You can search Google for this to find the domain name’s hosting provider.

Collecting Evidence

Regardless of whether you can identify the scammer, the next step is to collect evidence of the scammer’s fraudulent activities via the fake website. While advanced tools are available for collecting websites, gathering screenshots (with timestamps) can be effective. 

You should collect evidence of at least the following:

• The website’s domain name

• IP address (or addresses)

• URL

• Any brand elements that may be a violation of any copyright/trademark policies

• Web pages that are similar to yours

• Any branding elements used on the fake website

• Proof of fraudulent activities (i.e., testimonials from victims)

The more pieces of evidence you can gather, the easier it will be to shut down the website legally.

Reporting the Illegal and Fake Website

Once you’ve gathered and compiled all the necessary evidence, you should file your report to the relevant parties:

Google/Other Search Engines

If you have proof that the website is engaging in criminal activities (i.e., phishing, impersonating your eCommerce store, etc.), quickly file your website report to Google’s safe browsing team and other relevant search engines (i.e., Bing.) This ensures the site can be penalized and won’t appear on search results to minimize the number of future victims.

Relevant Authorities

Depending on your location, you should file a complaint with the local police department and the FBI about the illegal website. 

Domain Registrar

Check where the domain name is registered and report the situation. The scammer may be registering the domain under your name (or business’s name). Report to ICANN and ask them to de-list your name in such cases. 

For example, if the website is a Top Level Domain (TLD), you can report to ICANN here. If they are using: 

• .com

• .org

• .net 

If the website uses ccTLD (country code TLD) like .us, .uk, etc., you can check this list and contact the domain registrar of the relevant country used by the fake website.

ICANN

If you have a registered trademark for your domain name, you can file a complaint under the UDPR (Uniform Domain-Name Dispute Resolution). Successful UDPR filing can transfer the domain name ownership to you.

Payment Gateway

If the website involves online transactions and offers payment options like PayPal, credit card (Visa/MasterCard), Venmo, and so on, you can contact these payment companies and report the situation; they may also be willing (and capable) of helping you to take down fake websites.

All reports on websites should contain the following:

• Complete and accurate contact details of your business and a PIC

• All the evidence you’ve gathered

• A brief explanation of the situation (why you think the website is currently being impersonated.)

• The desired outcome you’d like from reporting the abuse (i.e., termination of responsible employee.)

Sending a Cease and Desist Letter for Illegal Websites

Prepare a DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) notice, then send an official cease and desist letter to the site admin. Alternatively, you can send the letter to the domain registrant if you can’t reach the fake website owner. 

Reporting a Copycat Website to CMS Platforms for Removal

If you are dealing with a scammer/cybercriminal, you most likely won’t get any response. Your next step is to send the letter to the CMS platform on which the fake website is built. Most scammers won’t create the website from scratch and will rely on platforms like Shopify, Wix, or WordPress. Most likely, these platforms will cooperate with you and shut down websites if you can prove the occurrence of criminal activities. 

Escalating Your Takedown Request: Contacting the Web Host

If the domain registrar or CMS platform still hasn’t responded, you can send a cease and desist letter to the server host. Server hosts are required to comply with strict regulations and are more likely to cooperate in shutting the website down.

Following Up with Google

If you’ve followed this guide on shutting down websites legally to a T, you should’ve sent a request to Google informing them of the situation and asking for the fake website to be removed from the search results. 

Google receives a massive number of DMCA takedown requests daily, so expect that a website’s removal may take at least a few days up to a week. You may want to follow up with a complete DMCA request, especially with proof that you are the legal copyright owner of the website and its content and evidence of the malicious activities on the fake website.

Warn Customers

While an impersonation website is active, you should post a warning on your existing channels where possible. This includes your: 

• Website

• Social media

• Email

The actions above may take time to resolve, and your customers may be scammed during this period. By warning people as early as possible, you may save some reputational damage for your organization. 

When to Consider an Automated Solution

The steps above can take hours or days to complete if it’s your first filing a takedown notice. Your time could be better spent on actions that directly grow the business, but you can’t neglect the issue of scammers taking advantage of your brand.

This is where an automated solution like Bustem comes in. 

Related Reading

• How to Report Copyright Infringement on Etsy
• Report Infrigement Amazon
• Report Shopify Seller
• How to Report a Scammer on Instagram
• Tiktok Copyright Infringement
• Facebook Copyright Infringement Notice
• How to Submit a DMCA Takedown Notice
• DMCA Takedown Request

Steps to Protect Your Website From Being Copied

1. Make Your Copyright Notice Clear and Visible

A visible copyright notice helps reduce copyright infringement. A copyright notice will let users know you own your website’s content. It can also help you outline the kind of use you will allow and ward off potential scammers.

Clear and visible copyright notices are highly recommended because they deter infringers and make it easier to show deliberate copyright infringement. Depending on your content, you can write your copyright notice in various ways. A standard copyright notice may look like this: © [Full Name] and [Site Name], [Current Year or Year Range].

You can add a copyright notice in a footer file like this: <p>© 2018-2023 Redpoints.com</p>. But remember that you need to update it every year! 

2. Disable the Right-Click Option to Frustrate Copycats

Suppose you’re afraid that copycats will visit your website just to right-click, copy all the information off your page, and paste it onto their copycat webpage. In that case, a simple solution is to disable the right-click option. This will make it difficult for the average copycat to steal and repurpose your content. You can restrict right-click options with various plugins.

While effective, this approach does have some downsides. For example, disabling right-click may limit the user’s ability to navigate around your website. Also, disabling the right-click option does not remove the ability to screenshot the information and copy it out manually. While it makes copying your website content more arduous, it does not make it foolproof. 

3. Protect Your Images with Watermarks

If you’re specifically worried about copycats stealing your images, you can include watermarks. Watermarks are visual reminders that you created these images and that they belong to you. 

Scammers won’t be able to steal and copy them without displaying the watermark. This watermark will point back to the source of the copied images and hopefully let users know they are on a copycat website.

Related Reading

• DMCA Takedown Process
• Best DMCA Takedown Service
• Red Points Alternatives
• BrandShield Alternatives
• DMCA Protection
• Copyright Infringement Lawyers

Find and Take Down Copycats with One-click Today

E-commerce businesses have much to deal with, and copycat websites shouldn’t be one of them. Bustem helps you eliminate copycat websites so you can focus on growing your business. Our powerful software automatically scans millions of websites for stolen content, including: 

• Product descriptions

• Images

• Videos

• Ad copy

Once we identify the offenders, we help you eliminate them quickly with pre-filled DMCA forms and case management tools.