Decade-old fake Microsoft domain resurfaces in 'typosquatting' scam

Imagine waking up early on a Monday morning and seeing this email in Outlook, a password reset request from Microsoft

Looks pretty legit, right? Microsoft logo and all. And maybe without your coffee or your glasses, you'd click it without thinking twice

But take a closer look. It doesn't actually say Microsoft. The domain uses a lowercase r and n made to look like the letter m

It's a domain that's been around for years, and people on social media are warning it's making a comeback thanks to a technique known as typo squatting

Typo squatting happens when scammers register domains that look almost identical to real ones, hoping you won't notice the difference

A search of public domain records show the fake Microsoft domain is registered under this name in South Korea

It was first created back in 2012 and is set to expire in March 2026

Reddit users say the domain reappears in new scams every few years using emails that look just like real Microsoft messages And Microsoft isn the only company targeted

The owner of the fake domain also shows up in other disputes, including a case filed with the World Intellectual Property Organization

A Swiss cybersecurity company called WiseKey accused him of taking over its domain

The case ended with WiseKey getting the site back. So a few quick reminders to not fall victim of phishing

A woman who flagged the fake email on LinkedIn says, always expand the full sender address before clicking anything

Others say hover over links before you click and never enter personal information from an email you weren't expecting

Also watch out for urgent requests for passwords or payment details. But the big takeaway, if you didn't request a password reset or account change, ignore the email and report it to your company if it's sent to your work account

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I'm Kennedy Felton with Stray Arrow News