Claire FountainScam websites are on the rise! But that doesn’t mean you have to sit idly by if they scam you or steal your original site.
There are things you can do to get scam sites taken down for good.
Here’s how.
Reclaim Your Stolen Content
Our content was stolen! So, we found an anti-piracy expert to reclaim our lost rankings and stop unauthorized copies. Now you can work with him too.
- Avoid lost revenue when others monetize YOUR content
- Stop brand damage when your name is used on shady websites
- Prevent pirated copies from appearing above you in search results
Table of Contents
We offer this website completely free to our visitors. To help pay the bills, we’ll often (but not always) set up affiliate relationships with the top providers after selecting our favorites. However, we do our best not to let this impact our choices. There are plenty of high-paying companies we’ve turned down because we didn’t like their product.
An added benefit of our relationships is that we always try to negotiate exclusive discounts for our visitors.
What Is a Scam Website?
So what’s considered a scam website?
A scam website is any illegitimate site used to deceive users into participating in fraudulent activities.
Scammers who own these sites hide behind the anonymity that the internet offers to scam unsuspecting site visitors into anything from sending money to buying fake products to giving personal information that can be later exploited.
Basically, scam sites are sites that lie and make promises they can’t keep.
- check out our guide on how to report and ban fake Instagram accounts >>
Examples of scam sites include:
- Exact pirated copies of legitimate sites
- Phishing sites that look like legitimate bank websites but steal information
- Fake eCommerce sites that sell fraudulent products
- Tech support scam sites that claim your computer has viruses they can fix but then do the opposite
- Job offer scams that promise great pay after you pay an upfront training fee
How to Take Down a Scam Website
How can you get one of these scam sites removed?
Here’s how!
1. Identify the Fake Website
First, you’re going to need to identify the fake website in question.
A few red flags that can immediately clue you into the fact that the site is a scam include:
- Misspelled URL (paypall.com or paypal-secure.com, etc)
- Look for the padlock HTTPS icon in the corner of the URL bar
- Look at the site design and content (sometimes it’s immediately obvious that a scam site is a scam site because the design is garbage or the content just sucks)
- Bad reviews for the site
- Extremely young domain age
- Unrealistic promises made on the site
When it comes to identifying scam sites, you can often trust your gut.
2. Gather Evidence
Next is the most important step; one that can make or break your chances of getting a scam site taken down.
This includes:
- URLs of the infringing content
- Screenshots of the infringing content
- Evidence showing you own the original content, including the URLs where it is published on your site, publication dates, and any other relevant information that proves ownership
- Contact information on the infringing site
- Domain registration information for the scam site.
- Correspondence records if you’ve spoken to the scam site owner previously
- Hosting provider information (this is who you will contact to report the site)
3. Contact Hosting Provider to Perform DMCA Takedown
Next, if the site is stealing your original content without your permission, you’ll need to file a DMCA takedown.
You can check the above link for a more intensive breakdown of what the DMCA is, but basically, you’ll need to send a formal letter to the ISP (hosting) provider stating that the particular site is breaking the law and stealing content.
This DMCA takedown will need to have the following information:
- The signature of the copyright owner or owner’s agent, in physical or electronic form.
- Identification of the: (i) copyrighted work(s) infringed; (ii) the infringing activity; and (iii) the location of the infringing activity (typically by providing the URL).
- Contact information of the notice sender, including an email address.
- A statement that the notifier has a good faith belief that the material is not authorized by the intellectual property or copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
- A statement that the information provided is accurate and the notifier is authorized to make the complaint on behalf of the intellectual property or copyright owner.
4. Send Takedowns to Search Engines & Payment Processors
Once you have sent your DMCA takedown to the site’s web host, it’s time to cut off the scam sites’ ways of making money and gaining traffic.
You can do this by sending DMCA takedowns or filling out forms on the appropriate sites.
Most commonly, you’ll need to file a DMCA takedown with Google and possibly file takedowns with payment gateways like Stripe, Square, etc.
Check out our list of DMCA templates for inspiration and to streamline your takedown process!
5. Notify Authorities if Necessary
If it’s that serious, you may need to notify the authorities of a scam site and involve lawyers.
A few examples of when you may need to notify government agencies include:
- Identity theft
- Large-scale operations
- Illegal activities
- International scope
- Threats to public safety and health
- If you can’t get the site taken down using normal channels
Which authorities you may be notifying (depending on the scope and location of the scam) are:
- Local law enforcement
- FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) or the FTC in the US
- International agencies for large-scale, international scams
Use a DMCA Takedown Service
If all of this seems like a lot… well, that’s because it is.
But good news! There are plenty of DMCA takedown services that can issue these takedowns on your behalf and provide ongoing monitoring to ensure that your IP is protected and no sites are out there scamming people under your name.
We know firsthand how annoying it is to find someone else has stolen your stuff, as we had to perform our own DMCA takedowns for scam sites stealing our course.
We even offer our own DMCA takedown service where our team of experts will perform unlimited DMCA takedowns on your behalf!
Reclaim Your Stolen Content
Our content was stolen! So, we found an anti-piracy expert to reclaim our lost rankings and stop unauthorized copies. Now you can work with him too.
- Avoid lost revenue when others monetize YOUR content
- Stop brand damage when your name is used on shady websites
- Prevent pirated copies from appearing above you in search results
Frequently Asked Questions
Can scam websites be taken down?
Yes, scam websites can be taken down, and often are when the proper reporting steps are taken.
How do I delete a scam website?
You can get a scam website taken down by sending a cease and desist to the site admin or site hosting provider and following up by getting the site removed from search engines like Google and Bing.
How do I report a website to get it taken down?
To report a website to get it taken down, send a cease and desist to the site admin or site hosting provider and follow up by getting the site removed from search engines like Google and Bing.
How do I cancel an online scam?
The easiest way to cancel an online scam you have fallen victim to is to contact your credit card provider and dispute the charge.
