Report a clone of your store

Recon writes the reports that can get a clone of your store taken down. It finds who to report the fake website to, fills in the evidence, and puts the steps in order. You send each report, and the replies come to you. Prepared reports are on every plan.

Recon never removes a site itself. The browser blocklist, the registrar, the host or the registry decides. Most act within a week, some take longer.

Before you start

• Add your takedown details once. The registrar, host and registry reports need your business name, your name, a postal address and an email for replies. See Add your takedown details.
• Check the evidence on the case first. See Review a clone case.

Open the checklist

1. In Recon, open Clones.
2. Find the clone under Clones of your store and click View case.
3. Scroll to Get it taken down.

Send the reports in the order Recon lists them. Each one goes to a different company that can act on the site.

Step 1: Report it to browser blocklists

Browser blocklists make browsers such as Chrome, Safari and Edge show a warning before a shopper reaches the site.

1. On Report it to browser blocklists, click Report site.
2. Recon sends the site to Netcraft, a blocklist that browsers check. This is the one report Recon sends for you, and only when you click.

The row then shows Reported to Netcraft with the date, and a Check status link. If Netcraft does not find a problem, the row says so. You can then report the site yourself on Google’s form: https://safebrowsing.google.com/safebrowsing/report_phish/

Step 2: Report it to the registrar

The registrar sold the domain to the person who runs the clone. It can suspend the domain, which takes the whole site offline. Recon names the registrar in the step, for example Report it to the registrar (Registrar of Record, Inc.).

1. Click Review report.
2. Read the report. It describes the fake store, lists the evidence and asks the registrar to suspend the domain.
3. Send it. See "Send a report" below.

Step 3: Send the copyright notice to the host

The host stores the copied photos and text, and can remove the site. Recon writes a DMCA copyright notice for the host, for example Send the copyright notice to the host (Bluecrest Hosting).

1. Click Review report.
2. Read the notice and send it.

Some clones run through Cloudflare. Then the step reads Send the copyright notice to Cloudflare. Cloudflare takes notices on its own form and forwards them to the real host.

When one host runs several clones of your store, Recon writes one notice that covers all of them. The step title ends with “covering” and the number of clones, and names the other addresses. Send it once.

Step 4: Report it to the registry (.shop only)

This step shows only for clones on a .shop address. The registry runs the .shop ending and can put the domain on hold.

1. On Report it to the registry, click Review report.
2. Click the button that copies the report and opens the registry’s form. Paste the report into the form and submit it.

Send a report

Review report opens the report in a window. Depending on where it goes, you see some of these buttons:

• Open in Gmail: opens a Gmail draft with the address, subject and report filled in. Check it, then click Send in Gmail.
• Open in email app: opens the same draft in your usual email app.
• Copy report and open the company’s form: copies the report and opens the form. Paste the report into the form and submit it.
• Copy report: copies the text, when there is no email address or form.

After you send it, click Mark as sent. The row badge changes from Not sent to Sent and the date. Recon does not see your email, so it relies on you to mark each report.

After you send

Recon checks the site on every scan and updates the case when it goes offline. If the site is still online a week after your first report, send the next one. See What happens after you report a clone.

Related articles

• Add your takedown details: the details every report needs.
• What happens after you report a clone: what Recon shows while you wait.
• Review a clone case: check the evidence before you report.