How to Stop Counterfeits in 2025

eCommerce is growing—but so is the risk. As digital marketplaces expand at record speed, so do the threats to brand integrity. With global online retail sales projected to exceed $4.1 trillion in 2024, platforms like Amazon, TikTok Shop, eBay, and Temu have become both opportunities and vulnerabilities for brands.

At Softprom, we help companies safeguard their brands in this high-risk environment by offering BrandShield’s AI-powered brand protection platform—a cutting-edge solution that detects and removes threats across online marketplaces and social media channels.

Why Marketplace Brand Protection Is a Business Imperative

Counterfeiting has become a global crisis. The International Chamber of Commerce estimates that counterfeit and pirated goods will cost businesses over $4.2 trillion by 2025.

Just look at Amazon:

• In 2023 alone, over 7 million counterfeit listings were removed.
• In 2024, Amazon seized over 15 million fake products, more than double the previous year.
• 99% of suspicious listings were proactively blocked using AI—before brand owners filed complaints.

Brand abuse doesn’t stop at fake products. It extends to cloned storefronts, phishing campaigns, impersonation accounts, and unauthorized resellers, many of which use AI tools to produce convincing fakes in minutes.

Whether you're in fashion, cosmetics, consumer electronics, or healthcare, your brand’s reputation, revenue, and customer trust are at stake.

How Counterfeiters Operate in Today’s Marketplaces

Modern scammers don’t just sell knock-offs—they build ecosystems of deception. Common threats include:

• Trademark infringement: Copying logos, brand names, or slogans.
• Fake product listings: Using stolen images or product descriptions.
• Visual fraud: Photoshopping branded packaging onto unlicensed goods.
• Account impersonation: Replicating full storefronts, reviews, and customer service.
• Gray market activity: Unauthorized sellers distributing genuine products, undermining price integrity and warranty control.

These tactics are prevalent on:

• Amazon
• eBay
• Temu
• AliExpress
• TikTok Shop
• Instagram and Facebook Marketplace

The Social Media Factor: A New Frontier for Brand Fraud

Social commerce has exploded—with 2.71 billion consumers shopping across platforms. But with that reach comes new threats.

Scammers impersonate brands and customer service accounts to divert consumers to phishing pages or counterfeit shops. In 2022, PayPal shut down 4.5 million fraudulent accounts—a trend that's only escalating.

BrandShield’s AI-powered monitoring scans social media platforms 24/7 to identify impersonators, fraudulent activity, and unauthorized sellers—helping brands react in real-time.

Key Strategies for Marketplace Brand Protection

A proactive defense starts with visibility, speed, and the right tools. BrandShield—available through Softprom—provides:

• Real-time marketplace scans. Track counterfeit listings, cloned storefronts, and IP misuse across platforms.
• Automated takedowns. Remove fraudulent content fast with AI-driven enforcement and legal support.
• Cross-platform detection. Uncover coordinated attacks across Amazon, eBay, TikTok Shop, and beyond.
• Advanced clustering. Identify patterns in counterfeit activity and predict where threats will emerge next.
• Social media protection. Monitor impersonators, scam posts, and brand mentions across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Platform Watch: eBay, Amazon, Temu & More

eBay

A major revenue channel—and a hotspot for abuse. In 2023, eBay saw over $35 billion in U.S. sales, but counterfeit and gray market goods remain widespread.

Common risks include:

• Used products sold as new
• Counterfeit goods mixed with real inventory
• Unauthorized third-party sellers undermining pricing

Amazon

Still the #1 marketplace—but its scale makes real-time visibility essential. BrandShield complements Amazon’s Brand Registry and Project Zero by offering:

• Faster threat detection
• Content hijack alerts
• Monitoring unauthorized sellers
• Proof generation for IP claims

Emerging Platforms

Platforms like Temu, Bukalapak, and Tokopedia are growing rapidly but lag in takedown processes and IP enforcement. Southeast Asian scammers generated $37 billion in illicit sales in 2023 alone.

What Marketing and eCommerce Teams Can Do Now

Brand protection is a team sport. Here's how to start defending your brand today:

Train internal teams

Ensure marketing, eCommerce, and customer service can recognize fraud and respond quickly.

Run regular audits

Monitor Amazon, TikTok Shop, eBay, and others for unauthorized sellers and brand impersonation.

Protect your IP

Register trademarks and copyrights in every region where you operate.

Use specialized tools

BrandShield uses AI, machine vision, and behavioral analysis to provide over 98% takedown success—backed by legal support and global coverage.

Don’t Wait Until the Damage Is Done

Brand abuse isn’t just an intellectual property issue—it’s a marketing and revenue risk. Every counterfeit listing weakens your customer relationships and damages your bottom line. And once a scam goes viral, the harm is exponential.

With BrandShield and Softprom, you gain a powerful ally in the fight against counterfeiters, impersonators, and online scammers.

Protect your brand’s future—before someone else takes it.

Contact Softprom today for a free brand risk scan and consultation.