What This Alert Means.
A counterfeit promotion alert means someone is advertising or selling fake goods under your brand name, logo or product photos. It can be a social post, a marketplace listing, a shop page or an ad. The alert covers counterfeit product promotion on social platforms, and the ad module covers counterfeit product ads.
Counterfeit means goods made to pass as yours without your permission. The harm goes beyond lost sales. Buyers may get poor or unsafe goods and blame you. Some fake shops take payment and send nothing, or collect card details for later fraud.
The first job is to learn who is behind the page and whether buyers are being cheated, so you can choose the right route.
First 24 Hours.
Save proof first, then find out who is selling and who is buying.
- Brand protection analyst Open the alert from the Brandefense brand impersonation and social media takedown module and save the post or listing address, seller name, price, photos and datePages are often deleted after a report
- Brand protection analyst Save the seller's profile, other listings and any contact details or payment methods shownNote links to shops outside the platform
- Product team Compare the photos and claims with your real productsNote signs of a fake, such as wrong materials or labels
- Customer support lead Look for tickets from buyers who got a poor or unsafe itemLog order details and where they bought
- Fraud team Check if the shop page takes card details or sends no goodsTreat it as a scam and warn payment contacts
- Communications Prepare a short notice that lists your authorized sellersDo not link to the fake
- Legal Ask which brand, safety and customs steps applyCheck with your legal counsel before any formal notice or test purchase
Investigation Checklist.
These checks show how big the problem is and which channel fits each case.
- Where is it posted: a marketplace, social platform, ad or own website?This sets the reporting route
- Does the seller use your logo, product photos or brand name in the shop name?Note each use
- Is the seller a one-off account or a shop with many listings?Look for a network
- Does the shop link to a separate site or chat app for payment?Pivot to the domain and host
- Does the shop take card details on its own page?Treat it as possible theft of payment data
- Are the prices far below your own, or the stock described as unlimited?Record the details
- Are there safety claims or certificates that you did not issue?Flag this to legal at once
- Do the same photos or shop names appear on other platforms?Report them together
Containment And Removal.
Platforms have different brand protection channels, so use the one that fits where the goods are shown. Keep a log of each report, its date and any reply. If a report stalls, add evidence instead of resending.
- Marketplace brand protection channel: many marketplaces run a program for rights owners, with a notice form for counterfeit listings. Enrol your brand, then submit each listing with proof. Some require the rights holder or its agent to file, so ask your legal counsel.
- Social platform report: use the platform's report option for counterfeit goods or impersonation, plus its trademark complaint channel.
- Ad platform report: if the goods are promoted in ads, report the ads through the platform's ad policy channel.
- Registrar abuse contact: for a stand-alone shop, report its domain. ICANN says accredited registrars must publish an abuse contact and respond to reports.
- Hosting provider abuse contact: ask the host to disable the shop and keep its logs.
- Payment provider: if the shop takes card payments, tell your own payment partners and the seller's payment provider, using the fraud contact they publish.
- National CERT or law enforcement: in Turkiye, report through USOM (usom.gov.tr). USOM says its cyber reporting services are moving to www.siberguvenlik.gov.tr. In the US, fraud complaints can go to the FBI IC3. In the UK, the NCSC takes reports of scam websites.
- Customs and IP authorities: ask your legal counsel whether these routes apply in your country.
Longer-Term Hardening.
Counterfeiters return under new names, so build routines that make each report fast.
- Publish an authorized seller list and a short guide to checking a genuine product.
- Enrol in brand protection programs on the marketplaces and platforms where your goods sell, after you ask your legal counsel which marks apply.
- Keep a report pack with trademark details, official product photos, official domains and contacts.
- Keep a seller log with names, shop pages, payment details and shared photos, so repeat sellers are quickly linked.
- Give support a script for buyers of fakes, with a refund or exchange policy that your finance and legal teams approved.
- Warn customers to check before they give card details to an unknown shop. CISA advises checking before sharing personal information.
- Keep watching platforms for new listings that use your name or product photos.
How To Measure That It Worked.
Use figures from your own log. Do not rely on a general target.
- Live listings: number of counterfeit listings and pages still online each week, by platform.
- Time to removal: days from report to takedown, per platform.
- Repeat sellers: how many sellers return after removal.
- Buyer contacts: support tickets from people who bought a fake.
- Shops disabled: share of reported domains taken down by the registrar or host.
- Authorized seller page visits: traffic to your guide for checking real products.
Common Mistakes.
These errors slow removal or add risk.
- Reporting before saving proof, then losing the listing and seller details.
- Reporting only the listing and leaving the seller's shop site online.
- Buying a test item without advice from legal counsel.
- Ignoring buyers who got a fake, which lets the harm fall on your brand.
- Missing the payment angle. A fake shop that takes cards is also a fraud case.
- Posting the seller's page as a live link in a public warning.
- Sending legal notices without advice. Check with your legal counsel first.
Questions.
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How do I report counterfeit goods sold under my brand?
Use the marketplace or social platform's brand protection or rights-owner reporting channel. Give your trademark details, proof of the listing and why the goods are fake. Many platforms want the rights holder or an agent to file, so ask your legal counsel who should.
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Should I buy the fake item as evidence?
A test purchase can show the goods are fake and reveal the seller's details, but it involves money and your own legal exposure. Decide this with your legal counsel first, and use a company card and a delivery address that cannot be linked to staff.
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What if the fake shop has its own website?
Report the domain to the registrar and the site to its hosting provider. ICANN says accredited registrars must publish an abuse contact and respond to reports. Also check whether the shop takes card details, since some fake shops only exist to steal them.
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Do customs or IP authorities help with counterfeits?
They can in some countries, but the rules differ. Ask your legal counsel whether recording your trademark with customs or contacting an IP authority fits your case. This page does not give legal advice.
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How do I warn customers about fake products?
Publish a page listing your authorized sellers and how to check a product, and link to it from your site, emails and social profiles. Ask buyers who got a fake to contact support and to report the seller to the platform.
Sources
This page is general security guidance. It is not legal advice. Notification duties and takedown rights depend on your country, your contracts and the facts of the case, so ask your legal counsel before you act on them.