Simplifying Online Threat Enforcement
Fake Shops Shut Them Down Fast
Fake shops are fraudulent online stores that impersonate legitimate brands, often using professional designs and stolen branding to lure customers. These sites are built to appear credible but deliver counterfeit goods—or nothing at all
How fraudsters build fake shops
Exploit Expired Domains with SEO Value
Exploit expired domains with strong SEO value, repurposing them to deliver counterfeit storefronts.
Automate
Automate large-scale deployments with stolen WordPress and WooCommerce templates.
Hidden
Hide infrastructure behind Cloudflare or Bulletproof hosts to thwart detection and traceability.
Domain Generation Algorithms (DGAs)
Apply DGA to register hundreds or thousands of lookalike domains using .com, .shop, .online TLDs, and country‑specific combinations like brand‑australia.shop.
Google & Meta Ads
Drive traffic via Meta ads and Google Ads (often run in bursts of 24–48 hours using verified accounts) advertising heavy discounts and delivering users directly to fake store landing pages.
Fake Ads Branded Domain Names Optimized for Google
Technique: Scammers create domain names that closely resemble a brand’s official website, using slight variations or common misspellings. These domains are optimized with search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to appear high in Google search results.
Thousands of Domains: Scammers use Domain Generation Algorithms (DGAs) to register hundreds or even thousands of domain names targeting specific brands. These domains are rotated frequently to avoid detection, making them challenging to track and shut down.
Impact: Consumers searching for a brand may inadvertently land on these fake sites, believing them to be legitimate due to their high search engine ranking.
Meta Ads and Expired Domain Names
Technique: Scammers acquire expired domains that previously had good search engine rankings (Search Engine Results Pages – SERP). They then repurpose these domains to host fake shops.
Traffic Source: These sites are often promoted through advertisements on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, redirecting unsuspecting users to the fraudulent sites.
Meta Ads: Bad actors will purchase hundreds of verified Facebook Accounts to deploy sometimes thousands of ads targeting a specific brand. These ads are often only deployed for 24 – 48 hours to avoid detection.
Technical Signals of Fake shops
Despite the different targeting strategies, fake shops share several technical similarities:
Use of Cloudflare: To mask their IP addresses and hide the true location of their servers.
Built on WordPress: Leveraging the ease of use and flexibility of the WordPress platform to quickly set up and manage fake shops.
WooCommerce Plugin: Fake shop WooCommerce plugin offers easy to deploy shops with branded catalogs.
Fake PayPal payment option – that switches you to credit card on settlement
Non-compliant Chinese Registrars: Often using registrars that do not adhere to abuse regulations
Fake shop Audit: Understand the threat to your brand
brandsec deploys a number of techniques to find all domain names involved in a fakeshop network targeting our Clients, including but not limited to:
Domain Name and Hostname Review: We set up domain name monitors and audit new registrations and hostnames to identify and flag suspicious activities.
Social Media Profile Review: Scanning social media platforms for fake profiles and advertisements that direct traffic to fraudulent sites.
Advertisements: Identifying, recording and reporting deceptive ads that lead consumers to fake shops.
Monitoring & Detection
Brandsec implements advanced AI-driven algorithms to scan and analyze web traffic patterns for anomalies indicative of fake shops, such as sudden spikes in activity or unusual geographic access points.
We utilize domain monitoring tools to track the registration of new domains that contain brand-related keywords, and analyse for Fake shop content.
Through Unphish automated screenshot grabbers regularly capture and review website content for rapid identification and takedown of fake shops.
Takedown Fake Shops
Brandsec collaborates with domain registrars and hosting providers to suspend and deactivate fraudulent domains, and takedown fake shops.
We work closely with Google and other search engines to delist these sites, ensuring they do not appear in search results.
Additionally, we coordinate with social media platforms to identify and remove fake profiles and deceptive ads that drive traffic to these fraudulent sites.
Why Choose Brandsec
Experts in Domain Name Management
We provide expert advice and comprehensive management for domain names, DNS, SSL and domain name security.
Comprehensive Brand Protection
Brandsec offers end-to-end brand protection services, including monitoring and takedown solutions across various platforms.
Advanced Technology
Leveraging the latest technology, brandsec ensures robust brand security and proactive monitoring for online threats.
Unphish: Automated Solutions
Unphish will automate and expedite the takedown of phishing and fake content, ensuring quick resolution.