Have you heard of typosquatting? Typosquatting is when scammers register web addresses that look legitimate at first glance. Often, they swap a letter or slightly change the structure of a website. On many screens, the fake site can look identical to the real one unless you check closely.

A recent incident is catching people off guard, as a new phishing scam has been making the rounds that looks just like the real Microsoft login page. In this case, scammers are swapping the letter “m” in microsoft.com with the letters “rn.” On many screens, especially phones, “rn” looks exactly like “m,” making the fake site nearly impossible to spot unless you look very closely.

Scams like these are designed to trick you into believing an email comes from credible companies like Microsoft. The message might claim there’s an issue with your account, a security alert, or a password reset request. The link inside the email takes you to a fake login page that looks real — logos, layout, and all.

Once you enter your email and password, the scammers have what they need. They can then access your real Microsoft account or try the same login details on other services.

This scam is easy to miss because of how well it’s been crafted. The fake domains look clean, professional, and very close to the real thing. On smaller screens, the browser’s address bar may even hide part of the URL, making it even harder to notice the difference.

This is where even cautious users are getting tricked.

How to Protect Yourself

The best defense is slowing down when something feels urgent.

If you get an email asking you to log in, don’t click the link. Instead, open your browser and go directly to Microsoft’s website or the trusted site you’re trying to access, or use a saved bookmark. Turning on multi-factor authentication also helps, since it adds an extra step scammers can’t easily bypass.

If something looks off, even slightly, trust your instincts. A quick double-check can save you from a major headache later.