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Domain Name Registration Hub
Domain name renewal scam
You could be sent a letter that looks like a renewal notice for your domain name. Although the letter specifies renewal of your current domain name it will be from a different company to the one you have previously registered with.
This con works because some people will just pay up without reviewing the details
If you have doubts about the reliability of a domain name renewal notice then you should contact your usual service provider or domain name registration agent in the first instance
Domain name registration scam
This email is clever in that it implies it is doing you a favour by stopping another company from registering your domain name. But of course it is all hot air.
The emails come in two variations. Find the two examples below.
We have changed the domain name to Domain-name-registration-scam,
Email 1
Dear CEO,
We are the domain name registration organization in Asia, which mainly deal with international company’s in Asia. We have something important need to confirm with your company.
On the Jan 3, 2008, we received an application formally. One company named ” HengTong International Holdings Ltd” wanted to register following
Domain names:
Domain-name-registration-scam.cc
Domain-name-registration-scam.com.hk
Domain-name-registration-scam.com.tw
Domain-name-registration-scam.hk
Domain-name-registration-scam.mobi
Domain-name-registration-scam.net.cn
Domain-name-registration-scam.org.cn
Domain-name-registration-scam.tw
Internet brand keyword:
Domain-name-registration-scam
After our initial examination, we found that the keywords and domain names applied for registration are as same as your company’s name and trademark. These days we are dealing with it. If you do not know this company, we doubt that they have other aims to buy these domain names. Now we have not finished the registration of HengTong company yet, in order to deal with this issue better, Please contact us by telephone or email as soon as possible.
Best Regards,
Mars.zhou
Senior Director
Tel: +0086-21-2973-1795
Fax: +0086-21-5271-5978
http://www.meep-china.cn/
Email 2
Dear Sir/Madam,
We are Beijing Anwins Network Service Co., Ltd which is the domain name register center in China. We received a formal application from a company who is applying to register “Domain-name-registration-scam” as their domain name and Internet keyword on June 12, 2009.
Since after our investigation we found that this word has been in use by your company, and this may involve your company name or trade mark, so we inform you in no time. If you consider these domain names and internet keyword are important to you and it is necessary to protect them by registering them first, contact us soon.
Thanks for your co-operation and support.
Kind Regards,
Kim Yang
Tel:+86-10-6296163 (ext.8013)
Fax:+86-10-62968871
Email: kim.yang@beijing-anwins.cn
Kim.yang@beijing-anwins.com.cn
Beijing Anwins Network Service Co.,Ltd
Website: www.anwins.com
Stay well clear from these dubious attempts to get to your hard earned money. Deal with well known reputable companies and you can be assured of a honest and safe transaction.
Domain name log in details scam
This scam is not new, in fact some might argue it is as old as the hills. This kind of scam is known as phishing and has similar undertones to well documented scams that target the financial industry.
Typically you will receive an email purporting to been from your domain name registrar. The email will be in the form of “please update your details”. The email will appear to have been sent by a domain name registration company. The design looks genuine, but actually it’s a fake.
It says you need to “verify” or “update” your details for some reason, and provides a link for you to do just that. It also creates a sense of urgency by imposing a deadline, perhaps giving you seven days before your domain is cancelled.
When you click the link, you get taken to a website. Again, although this might look like it’s genuine, it isn’t.
You’ll be asked to input some details – typically, your username and password. If you enter them, they get sent to the scammers, who can then log in to your account and transfer your domain names away.
How to avoid these scams
We have given you a few tips to help you spot domain names registration scams. To help you avoid these scams you may want to follow the following common sense guidelines;
- Opt for WHOIS privacy listings
- Use security software
- Check with the sender, and verify that they have actually sent you an email.
- Search Google, chances are that someone has had a similar experience to you.Buy the domains elsewhere
- Don’t respond to scam, it’s worth your time and effort
- Be wary of spelling mistakes and incorrect grammar.
The great thing with scams is that you can spot them. To cover yourself just make sure you are aware of which company your domain names are registered with and when they expire. And always remember if it sounds too good to be true then it probably is...
It is said that everyone who has been online has had some sort of scam directed to them. Scams on the internet are widespread and the domain name registration space is not immune. There are three types of scams that affect domain name registration;
1.
Domain name renewal scam
2.
Domain name registration scam
3.
Domain name log in details scam