You’ve probably seen it. Maybe you stumbled upon it while typing a URL too fast, or perhaps you saw a weirdly phrased ad that felt like a fever dream from 2004. Is it com isn't exactly a household name, but in the gritty underbelly of domain squatting, typosquatting, and the early internet’s "wild west" era, it represents a very specific, very annoying phenomenon. It's basically the digital equivalent of a wrong turn that leads you into a shop that only sells knock-off batteries.
People get confused. Honestly, it’s easy to see why. When you’re looking for a specific service or trying to verify if a site is "com" (commercial) or something else, the phrase "is it com" becomes a frantic search query.
💡 You might also like: Apple Michigan Avenue Chicago: Why This Glass Box Is Actually a Masterclass in Architecture
The Mechanics of the Is It Com Redirect Trap
Let’s talk about how this actually works. Most of the time, when people are dealing with is it com, they aren't looking for a specific brand. They’re looking for a validation of a Top-Level Domain (TLD). Back in the day, the internet was simple. You had .com, .org, and .net. If it wasn't one of those, it felt fake.
But then the ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) opened the floodgates. Now we have .pizza, .ninja, and .xyz. This explosion of suffixes created a massive security hole that "is it com" style queries try to patch.
Scammers love this.
They set up "is it com" landing pages. These pages are designed to look like official verification tools. You land there, thinking you’re checking the safety of another site, and suddenly you’re being bombarded with pop-ups claiming your "McAfee subscription has expired" or that you’ve won a thousand-dollar gift card from a grocery store you’ve never visited. It’s a classic bait-and-switch.
Why Do We Still Fall For This?
Humans are creatures of habit. We trust the familiar. The ".com" suffix is ingrained in our collective psyche as the gold standard of legitimacy. Because of that, any site that plays off that trust—even by name—gains a weird, unearned authority.
✨ Don't miss: IFA 2025 Berlin Announcements: What Actually Happened in September 2025
Think about it.
If you see a site called "https://www.google.com/search?q=IsItSafe.com," you might pause. But if the URL is a garbled mess of "is-it-com-check-now.site," your brain should be screaming "no." Yet, because we are often distracted, browsing on mobile devices with small screens, or just in a hurry to buy that limited-edition toaster, we click. We shouldn't. But we do.
The Evolution of Typosquatting and Domain Shuffles
Is it com is essentially a byproduct of typosquatting. For those who aren't tech nerds, typosquatting is the practice of registering domains that are common misspellings of popular websites. Think "Gogle.com" instead of "https://www.google.com/search?q=Google.com."
Researchers like Tyler Moffitt from OpenText Cybersecurity have spent years tracking how these deceptive domains operate. It’s not just about annoying ads anymore. In 2026, the stakes are higher. These sites are now conduits for:
- Session Hijacking: Stealing your "cookies" so they can log into your accounts without a password.
- Credential Harvesting: Making a fake login page that looks exactly like Gmail or Outlook.
- Malvertising: Injecting malicious code through the ads that load on the page.
The "is it com" query is a gateway. If you’re asking the internet "is it com" regarding a suspicious URL, you’re already halfway into a trap. Legitimacy doesn't usually require a third-party "is it" check if the site is established.
The Role of ICANN and Registry Services
ICANN is the big boss of the internet's phonebook. They manage the DNS (Domain Name System). While they try to regulate how domains are handed out, they can’t really stop someone from buying a domain that just happens to be a common search phrase.
There are over 1,500 TLDs now.
Because of this, the query "is it com" has shifted from a simple question about a website's ending to a broader question of: "Is this thing real?" We’re living in an era of deepfakes and AI-generated storefronts. Verification is harder than it used to be.
How to Verify a Site Without Getting Scammed
Stop using "is it com" search queries as your primary defense. It’s like asking a stranger on a dark street corner if the alleyway is safe. They might say yes just to get you closer. Instead, use tools that actually have a database of known threats behind them.
- Use Google Transparency Report. You can literally paste a URL into Google’s Safe Browsing tool. It will tell you if they’ve found malware there recently.
- Check the SSL Certificate. See that little padlock? Click it. If the certificate was issued yesterday to an entity you’ve never heard of, run.
- Look for the "About Us" page. Real companies have addresses. They have phone numbers that a human actually answers. Fake sites usually have a generic "Contact Us" form that goes into a void.
- Whois Lookups. Use a site like ICANN Lookup or Whois.com. If the domain was registered three days ago in a high-risk jurisdiction and it’s claiming to be a 20-year-old bank, it’s a scam.
The Psychological Component of URL Trust
There’s a reason we don't ask "is it .net" as often. The .com TLD accounts for nearly 50% of all registered domains globally. It's the "Main Street" of the web.
When a user types "is it com" into a search engine, they are seeking validation for their intuition. Usually, if you have to ask, the answer is already "no." Trust your gut. If a site looks like it was designed in Microsoft FrontPage by a toddler with a penchant for neon green text, it probably isn't a secure place for your credit card info.
The Future of Domain Verification in 2026
We are moving toward a world where the URL matters less and the "identity" matters more. Browsers are starting to hide the full URL string to prevent people from being tricked by long, deceptive subdomains. Apple’s Safari and Google’s Chrome have been experimenting with showing only the "registrable domain" to make it clearer where you actually are.
This makes the "is it com" confusion even more relevant. As browsers simplify the view, the nuances of the TLD become the primary way we distinguish a real site from a fake one.
The internet isn't getting safer. It's just getting more clever.
The "is it com" phenomenon is a reminder that the simplest parts of the web—the names we give things—are often the easiest to weaponize. Don't be the person who clicks because a domain name looks "mostly" right.
Actionable Steps for Staying Safe
- Update your DNS settings. Use a secure DNS provider like Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) or Quad9. These services automatically block known malicious domains before they even load on your screen.
- Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). Even if an "is it com" scam lures you into giving up a password, MFA can stop them from actually getting into your account.
- Check the TLD list. If you encounter a weird extension, look it up on the official IANA Root Zone Database. It’ll tell you who owns that entire slice of the internet.
- Bookmark your essentials. Never search for your bank or your email login. Bookmark the official URL and only use that link. This completely bypasses the risk of typosquatting or landing on a "is it com" style redirect page.
- Report Phishing. If you find a site masquerading as a legitimate check tool, report it to Google’s Safe Browsing team. It takes 30 seconds and helps protect everyone else.