At the beginning of this year, we assisted a client whose business domain had been hijacked by a hacker. To understand the impact, it helps to know what a domain really is. A domain name—like abc.com—is essentially your company’s online address. It’s what makes your website accessible to visitors and what ensures your email can send and receive properly.

Domains are purchased and managed through registrars such as GoDaddy, Network Solutions, and others. Businesses pay annual or multi-year fees to keep them active. As long as the domain is under your control, your online presence and email remain secure. But if a hacker gains access to your registrar account—the control panel where the domain is managed—they can redirect your website, reroute your email, or even lock you out entirely.

In this case, the hacker not only hijacked the client’s legitimate domain but also registered a lookalike domain that differed by a single letter (for example, Vantaje.com instead of Vantage.com). They then created fake email accounts tied to the spoofed domain and began contacting the client’s customers with fraudulent requests. He also altered the alert email address in the registrar so, he received the alerts about any domain changes.

We immediately contacted the registrar to recover the hijacked domain, but the process stretched on for more than two months. The registrar required extensive documentation: notarized Articles of Incorporation, a copy of the business owner’s driver’s license, two utility bills, and enrollment in an identity app called Name Tag—along with repeated steps to create usernames and passwords. Their reasoning for the delay was that they needed to confirm the hacker wasn’t the legitimate owner.

Meanwhile, we also had to contact the registrar of the fake domain and file complaints through their abuse department. While every registrar provides such a process, it is often slow, cumbersome, and inconsistent. Unfortunately, registrars themselves sometimes fall victim to breaches, which only compounds the problem.

This experience underscored two realities:

1. Recovering from domain hijacking or spoofing is slow and disruptive.
2. Prevention is far more effective (and far less stressful) than recovery.

Why Domain Spoofing Works

Domain spoofing succeeds because it looks convincing at a glance. Hackers will:

• Register a domain that’s nearly identical to yours (example: homeadvantaje.com instead of homeadvantage.com).
• Create email addresses that resemble real employee accounts.
• Send urgent requests to clients or partners, often involving invoices or payments.

This type of attack doesn’t require breaking into your network—it simply confuses people into believing the fake is real. Unfortunately, when a customer falls victim, your business credibility is at risk even though your systems remain intact.

The Risks to Your Business

• Financial loss — Payments can be diverted to fraudulent accounts.
• Reputation damage — Clients may lose confidence in your communications.
• Legal exposure — Depending on your industry, customers may hold you accountable for not warning them.
• Operational disruption — Recovery (reporting, registrar disputes, legal steps, client communications) can take months.

What You Can Do to Reduce Exposure

While no one can prevent bad actors from registering a similar domain, there are proven steps you can take to make your business a harder target:

1. Lock Down Your Email

• Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records. These tell mail servers which messages are legitimate and which to reject.
• Use a consistent email format (e.g., invoices@yourbusiness.com) so clients can spot irregularities.

2. Register Domain Variations

• Purchase domains that feature common misspellings, abbreviations, and other extensions (.net, .org, .co).
• Even if you never use them, this reduces the attacker’s options.

3. Monitor for Lookalike Domains

• Use monitoring services that alert you when new domains similar to yours are registered.
• Early detection allows you to warn your clients before damage is done.

4. Train Your Team and Clients

• Encourage a healthy skepticism around unexpected invoices or urgent requests.
• Teach staff and partners to double-check email addresses carefully.
• Provide clients with a “safe” phone number to call if they want to confirm a request.

5. Secure Your Real Domain

• Enable domain and registry lock with your registrar.
• Protect your registrar account with multi-factor authentication.
• Keep your WHOIS information private where possible.

What To Do if You Spot a Spoofed Domain

• Report it to the domain registrar or hosting provider; many will take down fraudulent sites, though—as we’ve seen—this process can be slow and frustrating.
• Notify your customers right away—transparency protects your relationships.
• Consider legal or takedown services if the domain is actively defrauding others.

Final Word

Domain hijacking and spoofing are unfortunately common and resolving them is never quick or easy—especially when registrars make the process more difficult than necessary. The best defense is a strong offense: secure your domain, educate your team and clients, and put monitoring in place.

If you’d like us to review your domain security setup, enable SPF/DKIM/DMARC, or put monitoring in place, please reach out at 818-501-2281. These are straightforward steps that can save months of recovery, frustration, and reputational harm.