Website cloning is the process of creating a replica of your existing website design, content or both by an unauthorized third-party. Website cloning is usually for malicious purposes including phishing or by a competitor to steal your clients using your brands good reputation. This is a genuine concern for many brands and can result in loss of revenue, reputation and trust.

Identifying a cloned website is difficult, but as a business owner, it is not something you can afford to ignore. It’s not usually the big brand websites that are targeted for cloning but smaller brands. It’s likely you will be unaware of the forgery until customers call you to complain about the service, or lack of service.

Cloning is not always used for criminal purposes. Sometimes competitors will set up a cloned website to steal material or search result rankings, essentially stealing business from you! Also, a competitor may clone your website and add content to deliberately reduce your brand reputation.

What is Website Cloning? As the term suggests, website cloning or forgery is where the offender creates a ‘clone’ website of the original. Most websites can be copied but there are counter measures that your web developer can employ to restrict the risk of cloning. The type of websites that are often cloned include e-commerce shopping sites, travel booking sites, and banks. The clone site can either look exactly like the original, or it may simply be similar in design and content. That’s were an expert investigator can assist with collecting evidence to prove that the similarity is not merely a coincidence. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) criminalizes production and dissemination of technology, devices, or services intended to circumvent measures that control access to copyrighted works. It also addresses the takedown of websites which are operating to facilitate fraudulent activity.

Tracingia LLC are experts in website forensics and have been providing genuine services since 2015. Why leave your case with anyone else? Our processes for website takedown is tried and tested and follows the requirements of website hosting companies, and international law

Should you be interested in discussing any website takedown further, please feel free to contact us here.

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• Do the right thing
• Put our clients first
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• Recover and repatriate to the victim.