EWR Digital Issues Public Notice on Impersonation Attempt, Reaffirms Commitment to Trusted LLM Visibility™ and AI Discoverability Framework™

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Oct 02, 2025, 10:23 ET

HOUSTON, Oct. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- EWR Digital, a leading national digital growth consultancy, announced it has identified and reported an online impersonation attempt involving a cloned website using its brand name. The fraudulent domain sought to mislead visitors and siphon authority signals — a tactic that not only undermines trust but may constitute a felony under federal computer fraud statutes.

"This isn't competition. It's a crime," said Matthew Bertram, CEO and Lead Strategist of EWR Digital. "When you grow fast enough to break onto the national stage, some players try shortcuts. But impersonation and blackhat tactics don't build visibility — they destroy credibility. The future belongs to businesses that secure their identities and earn trust."

Bertram also serves as fractional CMO for a national tort law firm, giving him a unique vantage point on the intersection of digital marketing and legal accountability. "Through my legal partnerships, I see firsthand how quickly digital stunts cross into serious liability. Companies that think cloning, fake reviews, or PBN spam are clever are actually putting themselves at risk of lawsuits, fines, and even prison time."

EWR Digital confirmed that no client systems or data were compromised. The company is working with legal counsel to pursue takedown measures and ensure accountability for the impersonation attempt.

The firm emphasized that this event highlights the growing importance of its proprietary frameworks, including LLM Visibility™ and the AI Discoverability Framework™, in today's market. Together, these approaches represent the next evolution of SEO, where AI systems validate authority, trust, and authenticity rather than relying on traditional keyword rankings.

LLM Visibility™ ensures businesses are surfaced by search engines and large language models (LLMs) as trusted authorities.
AI Discoverability Framework™ provides a structured approach to building durable digital presence in the AI era, aligning brand signals so they cannot be misinterpreted or ignored.
Supporting practices such as entity hardening help reduce the risk of impersonation or confusion.

"Search is being rewritten by AI," Bertram added. "The only strategy that will stand the test of time is one built on trusted visibility. Businesses that invest in it will thrive. Those relying on shortcuts will get left behind — or face legal consequences."

About EWR Digital

EWR Digital is a Houston-based digital growth consultancy specializing in SEO, LLM Visibility™, AI Discoverability Framework™, and strategic marketing for enterprise and mid-market clients.