Typo squatting is a type of cyber crime where criminals intentionally create fraudulent websites that mimic the web addresses of legitimate and well-known organizations. The aim is to trick users into visiting these websites by misspelling or mistyping the real website’s URL. The fraudulent web addresses can differ from the original address by just one letter, such as Goggle.com instead of Google.com, or by changing the top-level domain extension, such as using “.com” instead of “.org”. These fake websites can be very convincing and look almost identical to the legitimate website in terms of content, layout, and branding.
Once a user lands on a typo squatting website, they may unknowingly enter personal information like credit card details, login credentials, and other sensitive data. Cyber criminals then use this information for fraudulent activities such as stealing money from bank accounts, making unauthorized purchases, and identity theft.
To protect against typo squatting, it’s important to pay close attention to the web addresses you are visiting. Double-check the URL for any spelling mistakes or unfamiliar extensions. If you notice that you have entered the wrong website, immediately close your browser and clear your cookies. To prevent such attacks, you can use web browsers that offer URL hijacking protection, which includes web extensions that protect against typo squatting.
