Typosquatting

November 21, 2023 - Around 2 mins mins to read

Understanding Typosquatting

Typosquatting is a deceptive practice that targets individuals who mistakenly enter a URL into a search engine. Hackers and cyber scammers create websites with URLs that closely resemble legitimate ones, such as gogle.com instead of google.com, and make them look almost identical to the original login page. The purpose of this practice is to obtain login credentials or other personal data. In some cases, these fraudulent sites may even sell counterfeit products that closely resemble genuine ones.

Typosquatting scams can take the form of site imitation, diverting traffic from popular websites to generate advertising revenue. This can be done through related links, affiliate links, or by using URLs with minor spelling variations. These activities not only harm businesses but also deceive users who intend to make purchases or use services from reputable companies.

If an individual chooses to log in through a fake site, this tactic can lead to security breaches. By gaining access to the person’s email and password, typosquatters can infiltrate their genuine accounts and access any stored information, including bank details, login credentials for cryptocurrency exchanges, social security numbers, and login details for other websites, among other sensitive data.

Typosquatting is similar to cybersquatting, where malicious actors purchase domain URLs that closely resemble popular brands like Nike or Apple. To protect potential customers from falling victim to these scams, companies often acquire these domains at significant costs, allowing cybersquatters to benefit from their extortionate tactics.