How to remove content impersonating your brand Bmoore November 6, 2024

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How to Remove Content Impersonating Your Brand

Brands have choices when it comes to addressing online brand impersonation. Every platform that hosts content has different processes for removing inappropriate and or misrepresentation of a company or individual. Below is a one stop shop do-it-yourself resource to help you remove fraudulent or unapproved content impersonating your brand.
Do it Yourself Instructions for Online Brand Impersonation Removal

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Websites and Domains

Fake Websites

Fake websites are to cornerstone of the majority of phishing scams. While attack vectors often vary, most will direct the victim to a fraudulent website impersonating a genuine organization.

Removing these websites from the internet is not exactly straightforward. We have created a 10-step guide to assist brands looking to remove any impersonating websites they have come across.

Alias Domains

Domain parking is when a domain is registered and “live”, but the associated webpage(s) lack content.

Fraudsters abuse this by purchasing domains with names similar to legitimate brands, using them to obfuscate, stage, and execute various aspects of their scam campaigns. 

Social Media

Leaders and Executives

Social Media has become a popular attack vector for online scams. Often, leaders and executives are impersonated on social platforms by bad actors looking to gain access to secure systems or to steal personal information from unsuspecting victims. 

Handling impersonations of executives on social media is not always a straightforward process. To prevent and protect from these types of attacks, we have outlined strategies brands can use to keep their customers and bottom line safe.

LinkedIn Impersonations

LinkedIn impersonations can come in the form of fake job listings, profiles falsely claiming employment, fake company pages, copyright and trademark infringement, and more. 

Handling LinkedIn impersonations is not as straightforward as other social media platforms, and following a particular workflow will often yield the best results in the least amount of time. We have outlined these best practices for brands looking to retain control of how their brand is perceived on LinkedIn.

X/Twitter Impersonations

Handling brand impersonation on Twitter/X can be tricky. Unlike LinkedIn, which enforces more stringent measures against misrepresentation, X tends to take a more flexible stance.

X operates on a “rule of two” basis as a definition of impersonation. In order to have instances classified as actionable impersonations, there must be at least two elements of impersonation. 

For more details on this process and how you can remove impersonations on X, take a look at our blog.

Facebook Impersonations

Facebook impersonations come in the form of fake profiles, fake pages, fake advertisements, and fake marketplace listings. Each instance has its own reporting methods with varying intricacies.

Removing fake Facebook accounts is not an easy task. To report an impersonation on facebook and have it acted upon in a timely manner, one must first have Meta verification for their business or person, and registered trademarks, copyrights, or evidence of identification (ID, passport, etc.). 

We have outlined the best practices to remove content impersonating your brand on Facebook in our blog.

Threads Impersonations

Instagram Threads has reporting mechanisms very similar to its parent app, Instagram.

Unfortunately, Meta platforms require Meta verification for brands looking to have their impersonation reports taken seriously. 

If your brand or executives are not Meta verified, the only options for impersonation removal rest on registered trademarks and copyrights. 

For more details on the process of removing brand impersonation on Instagram Threads, take a look at our article.

Mobile Applications

Rogue Mobile Applications

Mobile app fraud involves using mobile applications on a smartphone, tablet, or similar device. 

Within that, fraudsters employ many methods and strategies to extract sensitive information or funds from their target, including spoofed websites, social engineering, malicious code, inauthentic engagement, and more.