Massive frauds are being observed in domain registrations reproducing a brand followed by the name of a country, with .com extension.
The process consists in registering a series of domains, with different country names.
Many cases on this pattern are subject of ongoing UDRP procedures. Some decisions were issued (see for example decisions D2023-3663, D2023-4628, D2023-1188, D2023-4362 et D2023-2147).
The country name is often used in the local language or in English. ISO codes are favored for long country names, such as “us” for the United States. The variants without a hyphen between the brand and the country name are the most popular. Those with such hyphen are targeted too.
Added to this come the fraudulent practices via these registrations. For instance, the setting of email servers for the purpose of phishing the brand’s customers to obtain their banking details.
The risk of cybersquatting has further increased in recent months. WIPO found a growing number of UDRP complaints against domains registered to be used for fraudulent attacks, malware, phishing and counterfeiting (WIPO statistics for cases UDRP in 2023).
As part of a defensive strategy, it is advisable to register [brand][country].com domains for the main countries of operations.
This strategy is complementary to domain blocking services. It allows to protect variants which are not covered.
IP Twins is at your disposal to audit and strengthen your domain portfolio.
