How a Simple URL Typo Can Make You a Target for Malware
Clicking through search results to a website comes with the risk of landing on a spoofed page that is actually a phishing scam, but so does navigating directly by typing a URL into your browser. Researchers at security firm Infoblox have identified a swath of scams on lookalike and parked (or placeholder) domains. If you end up on one of these websites, you’ll be directed not to the trusted page you’re expecting but scam content, including scareware and other malware.
The Risks of Typing URLs Directly
This scam capitalizes on you navigating directly to a website by typing the URL into your browser’s address bar. If you accidentally mistype either the top-level domain (TLD) or the second-level domain (SLD), you could land on a page that has been commandeered by threat actors for malicious purposes. In some cases, these may be typosquats, meaning cybercriminals have registered domain names that look nearly identical to trusted ones.
How to Avoid Parked Domain Scams
One common piece of advice for avoiding phishing websites is to type trusted URLs directly into the address bar rather than clicking through search, as threat actors will try to exploit results to redirect you to malicious domains. This can still be a safe way to get to your destination, but you should check your spelling of both TLDs and SLDs carefully, as small errors could land you on a scam site. I’ve covered similar website trickery like homograph attacks, which use lookalike characters in URLs to direct you to phishing sites that, on the surface, appear to be legitimate domains.
What to Do Next
Unless you inspect the address very carefully, you may not catch the scam. To avoid falling victim to this type of scam, make sure to double-check your spelling of both TLDs and SLDs before typing a URL into your browser. Additionally, consider using a VPN or a non-residential IP address to access websites to reduce the risk of being targeted by threat actors.
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