com.au.com trickery

A US company has registered the “.com.au.com” domain name in an attempt to catch traffic from people who incorrectly enter web addresses when browsing online, ZDNet Australia reports.

The move means that if you add an extra “.com” to any “.com.au” address, you will be sent to a site owned by the company.

For example, typing www.google.com.au.com will redirect you to the site, which appears like an anti-spyware error screen and instructs the user to run a computer screening program.

Security firm F-Secure analysed the program found at the site and confirmed it to be fake. F-Secure’s Patrik Runald told ZDNet Australia: “When you scan your PC it will always find something to complain about… to clean anything you need to register your e-mail address and then it asks you for your credit card.”

The domain name is registered with NetRegistry, a private sector domain name reseller and hosting provider.