Scam Spotlight: Lookalike Domains and Spoofed Sender Names

Scam Spotlight: Lookalike Domains and Spoofed Sender Names

Part of our Scam Spotlight series — plain-language breakdowns of specific phishing and scam patterns we see, building on our Understanding Spam and Phishing Emails (Basics) article.

What this scam looks like

Instead of a completely unrelated address, the scammer registers a domain that's almost identical to a real one you trust — swapping a letter, adding a hyphen, using a different (but similar-looking) ending, or changing the display name while hiding a different real address underneath. Because it looks so close to the real thing at a glance, this trick is used to make almost any other scam — phishing, invoices, CEO fraud — feel more convincing.

A typical example

Display name shown: SaveMyService Support
Actual address underneath: support@save-my-service-billing.com

versus the real address:

support@savemyservice.com

Red flags in this example

  • The display name looks completely normal — that's the point. Email display names can be set to anything, regardless of the real address behind them.

  • Extra words or hyphens added to a familiar domain (“save-my-service-billing.com” instead of “savemyservice.com”).

  • Swapped or doubled letters that are easy to miss (“savemyservicee.com,” “savemyservlce.com”).

  • A different domain ending than usual (.net or .org instead of the real .com, or vice versa).

  • These tricks are almost never used alone — they usually show up alongside another scam type on this list, like a fake invoice or a phishing link.

What to do if you receive this

  1. Always check the actual email address, not just the display name — tap or click on the sender's name to reveal it, or hover over it on a computer.

  2. Compare it letter-by-letter against an address you know is correct (like one from a previous, trusted email or your own records) rather than trusting how it looks at a glance.

  3. If anything about the domain looks even slightly different, treat the entire message with suspicion, regardless of how normal the rest of it looks.

  4. Forward it to abuse@usfamily.net so we can help block the sender.

What to do if you already responded

Because this trick is usually paired with another scam type, follow the recovery steps for whatever the message was actually asking you to do — for example:

  • If you entered your password: see How Do I Change My Email Password? and My Mailbox Was Hacked — What Happens Next?

  • If you sent money or payment details: see Scam Spotlight: Fake Invoice and Payment Emails or Scam Spotlight: 'CEO Fraud' Wire Transfer Requests.

  • Understanding Spam and Phishing Emails (Basics)

  • Scam Spotlight: Fake 'Verify Your Account' Emails

  • Scam Spotlight: 'CEO Fraud' Wire Transfer Requests


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