Beware knockoff Web sites

It's not unusual to find business operations making a quick buck (legal or illegal) with official-sounding Web site domain names designed to lure consumers away from the real deal.

They do so by playing the domain name variant game and create a Web site knock-off.

Most federal consumer-help efforts come with easy-to-remember, simple domain names for Web sites. The simple names are designed to help consumers quickly get information they need.

Unfortunately, consumers must be exacting when they copy or key in those official domain names because their simplicity makes them an easy target for those who use similar domain names to lure consumers away from the official federal government Web sites.

Unfortunately, the culture of capitalism creates loopholes the domain name variant players know all too well.

Examples of official domain names for Web sites frequently targeted by domain name variants looking to siphon off customers, include MakingHomeAffordable.gov; DoNotCall.gov and ConsumerAction.gov, among many.

Change the wording or spelling slightly, add some dots or dashes, choose a different "dot" (.com; .net; .us; .org, etc.) and voila, you've got a domain name variant you can use to design an official-looking Web site.

One of the hardest such cases is the official federal government's AnnualCreditReport.com. It's the Web site where you can go to get three free credit reports a year, one from each of the Big Three major credit reporting agencies.

A variant, FreeCreditReport.com (an "As Seen on TV" Web site), owned by Experian (one of the Big Three) and operating within the legal loophole, charges consumers for the same service, but has been so successful at siphoning away consumers with its catchy television jingle, 70 YouTube spin-offs and other heavy marketing efforts, the Feds have copied THEM in a couple of spoof ads.

Here's one of the official AnnualCreditReport.com spots.

Here's the source of the spoof, one of FreeCreditReport.com spots.

 For more info: See "FTC fights FreeCreditReport.com with spoof ad".