Website spoofing is the creation of a website that looks almost identical to a trusted site. The forged site copies the design and layout of the original, which makes it difficult for users to spot the differences. A common technique used is URL cloaking, which makes the web address appear genuine. This can involve the use of subdomains, internationalised domain names, or lookalike characters from different writing systems, as well as certain control characters, to create misleading or confusing URLs.
The objective of website spoofing is often fraudulent. The sites gather personal information from users who log in, make a transaction or enter their details on the site for other purposes.
Another type of spoof site is the parody site. Some of these are easily recognisable, but others are more convincing and can be mistaken for genuine sources. In such cases, parody pages can cause real harm to a company or an individual, for example by spreading false information or damaging their reputation.
