Typosquatting is the registration of a domain name that closely resembles a well-known brand, relying on users mistyping or misreading the real address. Typosquatted domains are used to capture traffic, run phishing campaigns, sell counterfeit goods or pressure the brand owner into buying the name.
Common types of typosquatting
| Type | Example for "example.com" |
|---|---|
| Misspelling | exmaple.com |
| Missing letter | exmple.com |
| Doubled letter | exammple.com |
| Adjacent key | ezample.com |
| Different extension | example.co, example.net |
| Hyphenation | ex-ample.com |
| Added word | example-login.com, examplesupport.com |
| Homoglyph | examp1e.com (a "1" instead of an "l") |
Why it matters
- Phishing and fraud. Lookalike domains are a common way to steal customer credentials or send fake invoices.
- Lost traffic and sales. Visitors who mistype your name land on ads, a competitor or a counterfeit shop.
- Reputation damage. Customers blame the brand, not the squatter.
- Email risk. A lookalike domain can be used to send mail that appears to come from your company.
How brands fight back
1. Defensive registration. Register the most obvious typos and key country-code versions of your brand before someone else does. You can't register everything, so prioritize by risk.
2. Monitoring. Watch new registrations that resemble your marks, and check whether any are pointing to live sites or have mail records set up.
3. Takedowns. Registrars and hosts will often suspend domains used for active phishing or malware.
4. UDRP and legal action. The Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy lets a trademark owner seek transfer of a domain that is confusingly similar to its mark, where the holder has no legitimate interest and registered and uses it in bad faith. In the US, the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act is another option (see our guide to cybersquatting). These routes can work well for clear abuse, but they take time, cost legal fees, and produce a public record.
5. Quiet acquisition. When a typo or lookalike is held by someone with an arguable legitimate interest, or you simply want it resolved fast and privately, buying it can be quicker and more certain than a dispute. The key is not revealing that a major brand is the buyer, which is exactly what drives prices up.
How TastyName helps
TastyName runs confidential brand protection acquisitions for companies of all sizes. We rank your lookalike and typo domains by risk, identify the owners and acquire them under our name, so your brand is never exposed. We only work for buyers.