To report someone selling counterfeit goods, file with the online marketplace where the listing appeared, with a federal agency such as the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, the FTC, or Customs and Border Protection, and with the brand whose trademark was copied. Each channel does something different: the marketplace can pull the listing down within days, the federal agencies feed investigations into larger counterfeiting networks, and the brand owner has civil legal tools to go after the seller. The more channels you use, the more pressure the seller faces.
Build Your Evidence Before You File
A specific, documented report gets acted on. A vague one gets filed away. Spend a few minutes putting together a record before you contact anyone.
Capture the seller first. Save the username or store name, the storefront URL, and any linked social media accounts. Screenshot the listing itself before it disappears or gets edited. For a physical storefront or street vendor, note the address and photograph the signage.
Then document the product. Take clear photos from several angles, focusing on logos, tags, packaging, and any quality flaws that give it away. Misspelled brand names, sloppy stitching, cheap materials, and misaligned labels are the details reviewers look for. If the listing photos looked different from what arrived, save both.
Hold onto every transaction record if you bought the item: order confirmation, receipt, shipping label, and the credit card or payment statement. Those records tie you to the seller and pin down the date and price, both of which matter if an agency opens a case.
Report the Listing to the Marketplace
If the item was sold on an e-commerce platform, reporting the listing directly is the fastest way to get it removed. Most major marketplaces have a “report item” or “report listing” link on the product page. Click it, choose the option for intellectual property infringement or counterfeit goods, and explain why you believe the item is fake. Some platforms let you attach photos at this step.
The platform’s review team then checks the listing against its anti-counterfeiting policies. If it agrees, the listing comes down and the seller’s account may be suspended. This route is quick, but it will not open a criminal investigation. If the seller looks like a large operation or the goods are dangerous, pair the marketplace report with a federal filing.
Report to a Federal Agency
Three federal agencies accept counterfeiting reports, and you can file with more than one.
National IPR Coordination Center
The National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center is a multi-agency task force focused on counterfeiting and piracy. Download the reporting form at iprcenter.gov and fill in what you have about the items, the seller, and any supporting documents.1National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center. Report Form Contact information is optional but useful if investigators need to follow up. Reports here feed a broader intelligence effort aimed at dismantling counterfeiting networks, so this is the right channel when you suspect an organized seller rather than a one-off.
Federal Trade Commission
The FTC takes consumer reports at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and enters them into Consumer Sentinel, a database shared with more than 2,000 law enforcement agencies worldwide.2Federal Trade Commission. ReportFraud.ftc.gov The FTC does not resolve individual complaints, but repeat reports about the same seller move that seller up the enforcement queue.
Customs and Border Protection
If the counterfeit shipped from overseas, report it to CBP through its Trade Violations Reporting portal (formerly e-Allegations) at eallegations.cbp.gov.3U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Trade Violations Reporting (TVR) Choose the merchandise violations option and describe what you received, where it shipped from, and anything you know about the seller or shipper. CBP acts on this kind of tip: in fiscal year 2024 it seized more than 32 million counterfeit items with a retail value above $5.4 billion.4U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Intellectual Property Rights Seizure Statistics Fiscal Year 2024
Report Dangerous Counterfeits to a Safety Agency
Counterfeit electronics, auto parts, cosmetics, and medications skip the safety testing that legitimate products go through, and they can genuinely hurt people. If what you encountered is a safety risk, add a report to the agency that regulates that product category.
For counterfeit pharmaceuticals, medical devices, dietary supplements, or cosmetics, use the FDA’s MedWatch program. File online, or call 1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332) and press 2.5Food and Drug Administration. Reporting Serious Problems to FDA Describe the product, the packaging, and any adverse reaction you had.
For counterfeits that pose a physical hazard, such as fake chargers, knockoff car seats, or imitation smoke detectors, report through SaferProducts.gov. CPSC investigators review each report, and the information can lead to a recall or penalties against the seller.6SaferProducts. SaferProducts.gov
Tell the Brand Owner
The company whose trademark is being counterfeited has both the motivation and the legal tools to act. Most major brands run an anti-counterfeiting or brand protection team with a dedicated email address or web form, usually posted on their corporate site under “intellectual property” or “report a counterfeit.”
Brand owners can send cease-and-desist letters, file takedown requests, and sue. Federal trademark law gives them serious leverage: courts are required to award three times the counterfeiter’s profits or three times the brand’s damages, whichever is greater, plus attorney’s fees, unless extenuating circumstances exist. A brand can also elect statutory damages of up to $200,000 per counterfeit mark, or up to $2 million per mark if the counterfeiting was willful.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 US Code 1117 – Recovery for Violation of Rights Sharing your evidence adds your purchase to their case file.
Trafficking in counterfeit goods is also a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. § 2320, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $2 million fine for a first offense, with higher penalties for repeat offenses and for counterfeit drugs, military goods, or products that cause injury.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 2320 – Trafficking in Counterfeit Goods or Services
Get Your Money Back
Reporting the seller and getting refunded are separate tracks. Pursue both.
Through the Marketplace
If you bought the item on Amazon, eBay, or a similar platform, open a return or dispute in your order history. Pick the reason that fits, usually “item not as described” or “counterfeit item,” and follow the prompts. Platform-level disputes typically resolve within a couple of weeks.
Through PayPal
PayPal’s Purchase Protection covers items “advertised as authentic but are not authentic.” You have to contact the seller through the Resolution Center first before escalating to a formal claim, and you should be ready to send whatever documentation PayPal asks for.9PayPal. Purchase Protection Program
Through Your Credit Card
If you paid by credit card, the Fair Credit Billing Act lets you dispute the charge as a billing error. The written dispute has to reach your card issuer within 60 days of the statement showing the charge.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1666 – Correction of Billing Errors Most issuers now accept disputes through their app or website and give you longer in practice, but 60 days is the legal floor. Explain that you received counterfeit merchandise and attach your evidence.
What Happens After You File
Do not expect a case update. Reports to agencies like the IPR Center and the FTC feed confidential, long-running investigations that can span dozens of suspects and multiple countries. You will usually only hear back if investigators need more from you.
That does not mean your report went nowhere. It joins a pool of data agencies use to spot patterns and prioritize targets, and it helps marketplace review teams train the systems that catch the next listing faster. Filing across every relevant channel — federal agency, platform, and brand owner — is the most effective thing you can do, because each one uses the information differently and together they create pressure a counterfeiter cannot easily sidestep.