Understanding Lookalike Domain Names
Launch library · evergreen read
A lookalike domain swaps a single letter, adds a hyphen, or changes an ending slightly to closely resemble a familiar, trusted address while actually leading somewhere entirely unrelated behind the scenes. At a glance, especially on a small mobile screen, the difference is genuinely easy to miss entirely.
Reading a domain name slowly and completely, rather than skimming just the first few familiar looking characters, is the most reliable defence available. Checking what comes immediately before the first single slash reveals the actual site being visited, regardless of anything else that follows after it further along in the web address itself.
Bookmarking frequently used, trusted addresses and typing them directly rather than following links removes the lookalike risk almost entirely, since a bookmark cannot be subtly altered the way a link sent in a message so easily can be by anyone wanting to quietly redirect you elsewhere without your noticing.