Domain name scams: unsolicited e-mails, letters and 'phone calls about your domain name

Common domain name scams

The phone call: Beware contact from a domain name company that tells you that someone is looking to snap up a domain name that you would want. They will often then go on to tell you that there are some real crooks on the internet - cybersquatters and con artists, etc. Then they suggest that they register the domain name for you.

The letter or e-mail: Beware contact from a domain name company such as the Domain Name Registry of America (also Domain Registry Group or Domain Registry of Europe), that tell you that your domain name is coming up for renewal. Under the guise of trying to get you to renew your domain name they are, in fact, asking you to transfer the registration of your domain to them.

If you agree you will end up transferring your domain away from your current registrar to the scammer, which will result in problems with your website hosting account and/or e-mail and may cost more in fees.

The only people who should contact you about your existing domain name are your website hosting company, the company your domain name was registered through in the first place, or whoever looks after your domain name on your behalf.

There are also other scams whereby you are informed that someone is just about to register a domain name that is the same as yours, but with a different ending (commonly a Chinese, or other far eastern variation of your domain name, such as yourdomainname.cn ). The scammer then asks if you would like to buy the name instead as he can purchase it for you.

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