Impact of Domain Squatting on Official Platforms and Visit Rates to Illegal Game Download Sites

This study examines the effect of domain names resembling official platforms on the visit rates of illegal game download sites. Using a comparative analysis of website traffic metrics, we evaluate user behaviors—specifically visit frequency, average session duration, and bounce rate—across two groups of sites: those with domain names similar to official platforms and those without such resemblance. Results indicate that sites mimicking official domain names tend to have higher bounce rates but also show longer average session durations, suggesting that users initially trust these sites but may leave upon realizing they are not legitimate. Furthermore, while overall visit rates are higher on sites with non-similar domain names, the familiarity implied by similar names appears to influence user perception and trust. These findings underscore the impact of domain name similarity on user behavior and highlight its potential for exploitation by sites aiming to mislead users, posing ethical and security challenges in the digital ecosystem.