At Axur, we process one thousand takedown requests every day. Behind each request, there’s a story: a suspicious domain impersonating a brand, a phishing site harvesting credentials, or a fraudulent profile targeting unaware users. Some threats are easy to spot. Others are designed to slip through the cracks. But what they all have in common is the need for fast, accurate, and effective action.

In this article, we’re sharing real-world examples from our daily takedown operations. These are not hypothetical scenarios — they’re live cases that highlight how a strong takedown process can make a critical difference in protecting brands and users online.

01. A lookalike domain, a fake login page — and 1h55 to stop it

It started with a domain flagged by our automated detection system. At first glance, it looked like a typical phishing site — a deceptive copy of a trusted brand’s login page.

Upon closer inspection and human validation, we confirmed it was an active credential harvesting scheme.

From initial detection to full domain takedown, the process took just 1 hour and 55 minutes. The phishing page was already live, targeting real users. This fast response prevented a potential wave of account compromise and data loss.

02. Same scam, new domain — same outcome

Some attackers don’t give up after the first attempt.

Shortly after the original phishing site was taken down, the exact same fraudulent content appeared again — this time hosted on a different server under a slightly altered domain name.

Axur’s platform immediately flagged the duplication and a new takedown was issued and completed in just over two hours.

This is how we stay one step ahead when phishing attacks resurface or migrate.

03. A clean-looking site with hidden traps

Not all phishing sites look like obvious scams.

In this case, the page was minimal — clean layout, no branding — with a generic “log in” button. But when clicked, users were redirected to a hidden credential-stealing form hosted elsewhere.

This is where our platform’s deep inspection capabilities matter. It uncovered obfuscated JavaScript and suspicious redirection patterns, all classic signs of a stealth phishing attack.

The site was taken down the same day it was flagged, before it could scale into something more damaging. 

04. Spoofing a global brand, targeting a local audience

This one looked like a localized promotional campaign from a well-known e-commerce brand. But the signs were there — a slightly strange URL, inconsistent branding, and no HTTPS encryption.

What made it dangerous was how tailored it was: language, visuals, and structure adapted for the audience, making the scam feel legitimate to users in that region.

Thanks to Axur’s brand monitoring and localization strategies, the site was identified, validated, and removed within hours — neutralizing the threat before users could be misled.

The takeaway: takedown isn’t one-size-fits-all

These takedown cases show that this process isn’t just about automation or scale. It’s about:

• Knowing what to look for

• Notifying quickly when a threat is confirmed

• Adapting to different fraud tactics and threat environments

Whether it’s a phishing site using your brand’s logo, a fake landing page built to collect data, or a suspicious domain that doesn’t seem dangerous — yet — takedown is about removing the threat before it causes damage.

Is takedown the right strategy for your company?

If your brand has a digital presence — it’s already a potential attack vector. From domains and social profiles to marketplaces and messaging apps, every touchpoint can be exploited by threat actors.

Takedown becomes essential when you consider how fast these threats move — and how hard it is to know not only what to take down, but also how, where, and whom to notify. An automated takedown solution doesn’t just react; it knows the right channels, the right format, and the right message to get malicious content removed quickly.

So ask yourself:

• Do we know how many fraudulent domains or fake pages are using our brand today?

• If we found one, how quickly could we act?

• Do we know how to issue a takedown request? Or who to contact?

• Would our response be fast enough to prevent user impact?

If any of these answers aren’t clear, then an automated takedown process might be more relevant than you think. 

Want to talk about what this could look like for your company?

Reach out to us and we’ll walk you through how takedown works, what it can solve, and what kind of results you can expect — based on your risk profile, industry, and challenges.

Discover more takedown stories here.