'Typosquatting': How to spot fake news sites created by AI
Issued on: 25/03/2026 -
Courrier France 24, Sud Ouest Direct, 20minutes.com… they sound like real news outlets, but they are not. Learn how to spot sites created by AI.
Since 2023, fake media sites, often created by AI, have been appearing online. The sites publish articles aimed at misleading users or getting views for ad revenue. Here are four tips for spotting fake media sites.
Tip #1: Check the URL
In 2023, an article appeared online that looked like it was published by the French newspaper Le Parisien. Using the same logo and graphic style as the real newspaper, the article reported that wheat from Ukraine, meant for children in Africa, was instead being used as pig feed in Europe.
But the URL – “leparisien.ltd” – showed that the article was fake. The newspaper's real address is “leparisien.fr”.
Imitating a site by using a URL that is close to the real one is called "typosquatting".
Tip #2: Check the real news site.
See whether the article appears on the real news site. If you search for the pig feed article on the real Le Parisien site, you find an article saying that the newspaper had been plagiarised.
Tip #3: Watch out for signs of AI
In 2024, the Russian embassy in South Africa shared an article about atrocities supposedly committed by mercenaries fighting for Ukraine. The article was fake and was published by a site calling itself The Boston Times with the URL "https://bostontimes.org/".
The logo of this site contained nonsense text – a frequent giveaway that AI created the image.
The Boston Times was, in fact, a real newspaper, but it ceased publication in 1943.
Tip #4: Look for AI prompts in the text
Also, look out for traces of the prompts used to tell AI bots what to create. In the case of a fake French site that appeared in 2024, Media Alternatif, the instruction accidentally appeared in a headline.
In an article about supposed death threats against a school principal, the headline began with this text: "Here is a short headline based on the topic you described."
If an article or a news site seems suspicious, check the URL and go to the real site.
READ MOREHow to spot a website generated by artificial intelligence
This article was published on the occasion of France's Media in Schools Week, March 23-27, 2026.
Also, look out for traces of the prompts used to tell AI bots what to create. In the case of a fake French site that appeared in 2024, Media Alternatif, the instruction accidentally appeared in a headline.
In an article about supposed death threats against a school principal, the headline began with this text: "Here is a short headline based on the topic you described."
If an article or a news site seems suspicious, check the URL and go to the real site.
READ MOREHow to spot a website generated by artificial intelligence
This article was published on the occasion of France's Media in Schools Week, March 23-27, 2026.
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