How to report a fake store to Hostinger

Hostinger is a web host and a domain registrar. When it hosts a fake store, it stores the copied photos and text on its servers. That makes it the right place for a copyright notice as well as a fraud report.

Checked against Hostinger’s public legal pages on October 14, 2026. This is not legal advice. Hostinger can change its process, so check the linked pages before you report.

When should you report a fake store to Hostinger?

Report to Hostinger when it hosts the clone or registered its domain.

• Host: look up the clone’s IP address, then look up who owns it, for example with RIPE or ARIN search. Hostinger networks show Hostinger as the owner.
• Registrar: enter the domain at ICANN Lookup.

Hostinger’s abuse policy covers “suspected illegal, abusive, fraudulent, harmful, or otherwise prohibited use”. That includes phishing and copyright. Send two reports when both apply:

• A fraud or phishing report for the fake store itself.
• A copyright claim for your photos and text. Use a trademark claim only if you have a registered mark.

How do you report a fake store to Hostinger?

1. Save the evidence first. Take dated, full-page screenshots of the clone’s pages. Do not enter real card details.
2. Send the fraud report through hostinger.com/report-abuse, or by email to abuse@hostinger.com.
3. Send the copyright notice by email to abuse@hostinger.com. Hostinger asks you to put “Copyright Claim” in the subject line. For a trademark notice, use “Trademark Claim”.
4. Attach the evidence. Keep it focused on the clone.
5. Log both reports with the date and any ticket number.

What evidence does Hostinger ask for?

Hostinger’s abuse policy asks for “the relevant domain name, URL, IP address, or other sufficiently precise location”. It also asks for a description of the abuse and why it is unlawful, plus “screenshots, email headers and message content, logs, timestamps, or other information”.

• The clone domain, each page address and the IP address
• What the clone does, and why it is unlawful
• Dated full-page screenshots, with the time zone
• Your name and contact details
• For copyright: your original pages and every copied page, with the six DMCA elements
• For trademark: the mark, its registration number and how it is infringed

Copy-paste reports for Hostinger

Only include statements that are true for your case.

Fraud report:

To: abuse@hostinger.com
Subject: Fraudulent store impersonating [Your Brand]

Hello Hostinger abuse team,

A site you host pretends to be our store, [Your Brand]
(https://[your-store.com]), and asks shoppers to pay at its checkout.

Domain: [clone-domain.com]
IP address: [1.2.3.4]
Pages:
- https://[clone-domain.com]/
- https://[clone-domain.com]/checkout

What the site does:
- It uses our store name, logo, product photos and descriptions.
- It asks visitors for payment card details at checkout.
- It is not connected to us. We have not authorised it.

This is fraud and phishing under your abuse policy. Screenshots taken
[date, time, time zone] are attached.

[Your name], [Title], [Your Brand]
[Email] / [Phone]

Copyright notice: use the subject “Copyright Claim: [clone-domain.com]”. Build the body with the DMCA takedown generator. It includes every element a valid notice needs, including the statement under penalty of perjury and your signature.

What happens after you report to Hostinger?

Hostinger decides what to do.

• First review: Hostinger says: “We aim to conduct an initial review within 24 hours after receipt.” A full review can take longer.
• Possible actions: Hostinger says it may investigate, ask for more information, restrict content, suspend the service or escalate to law enforcement.
• Copyright and trademark: Hostinger says it “may temporarily remove the allegedly infringing material, notify the alleged infringer it will lock down the domain name(s), redirect the DNS”.
• Counter-notice: if the site owner sends a valid counter-notice, Hostinger says it restores the material “in not less than ten (10), nor more than fourteen (14), business days” unless you show you have started legal action.
• Your details may be shared: Hostinger says it may share report details with its customer. Use business contact details.

Other reports to send

• The registrar, if it is not Hostinger, for example Dynadot or Namecheap.
• Google Safe Browsing and Microsoft.
• See how to report a fake Shopify store for every channel, and download all the templates.

Let Recon prepare the reports

Recon is a Shopify app that watches for clones of your store. On every plan, it finds who to report each clone to and writes the notices for you to review and send. Early access on Pro: one click, and Recon files the reports for you. Hostinger or the registrar still decides whether to remove a site. Recon never removes sites itself.

Add Recon to Shopify, or run a free website check first.

Sources

• Hostinger report form: hostinger.com/report-abuse
• Hostinger abuse policy: hostinger.com/legal/abuse-policy
• Hostinger trademark and copyright infringement: hostinger.com/legal/trademark-copyright-infringement