You type a familiar web address in a hurry, miss a single letter, and land on a page that looks almost right. That tiny slip is exactly what typosquatting is built to catch. By registering domains that mimic popular sites, scammers turn your typos into traps for passwords, payments and malware. Our GetMyPassword team explains what typosquatting is and how to avoid it.
What typosquatting is
Typosquatting, also called URL hijacking, is the practice of registering domain names that resemble real ones — relying on common typos and misreadings. That includes a missing or doubled letter, a swapped character, a different ending like “.co” instead of “.com,” or look-alike spellings. People who mistype an address, or who do not read it closely, arrive at the impostor site. Because the page is designed to copy the real one, the visitor often does not notice anything is wrong.
What the fake sites do
- Phish your login with a copycat sign-in page that captures your password.
- Take payment for orders that never ship, harvesting your card.
- Push malware through fake “updates” or downloads.
- Show ads or affiliate spam, profiting from your misdirected visit.
- Impersonate support to harvest your details over chat or phone.
How to spot a look-alike domain
Slow down and read the full address, character by character, especially before logging in or paying. Check the exact spelling and the ending — the part right before the first single slash is the real domain, and an extra word or hyphen there can signal a fake. Be wary of links in emails and ads, where the visible text can hide a different destination. When in doubt, type the address yourself, use a saved bookmark, or search for the official site rather than trusting a link.
A look-alike domain only works if you do not read it. The few seconds it takes to check the spelling before you log in are the cheapest security you will ever buy.
How a password manager helps
A password manager is a quiet defense against typosquatting: it only autofills on the exact domain it saved, so if you land on a look-alike, your credentials simply will not appear — a clear signal that something is off. Pair that with a unique password on every site, generated with our password generator, and two-factor authentication, so that even a password captured on a fake page cannot unlock the real account. Bookmarks for your important sites remove the chance to mistype at all.
Frequently asked questions
What is typosquatting?
Typosquatting is registering domain names that closely resemble real ones, relying on typos and misreadings. People who mistype an address land on an impostor site that copies the real one to steal logins or payments, or to push malware.
How do I avoid typosquatting sites?
Read the full address carefully before logging in or paying, checking the spelling and the ending. Type addresses yourself or use bookmarks instead of clicking links, and rely on a password manager that only autofills on the genuine domain.
How does a password manager protect me?
It autofills your saved login only on the exact domain it belongs to. On a look-alike site the credentials will not appear, warning you the page is fake. Combined with unique passwords and two-factor authentication, this limits the damage of a phishing page.