Domain Name Scam

[Silverspoon]

SCAM ALERT
Received a printed Invoice by regular post for renewal of our Domain Name today. The sheet said it was our annual renewal notice for $109. The thing is, I always record our expiration date (2017) and did not recognize the company, http://www.domain-listings.org. Their web site is worthless so that is a big tip off. The invoice from Domain Listings is obviously looking for unsuspecting owners who might just pay the invoice without checking. They make it convenient to put your credit card # on the sheet and provide an envelope to mail it back. Don't do it.

 

[Copperhead]

I think they got the idea from all those YP look alikes who do the same thing.

 

[Arks]

That's been going on for years. So much info is available to their "bots" online, not just through our websites but also through the "whois" domain registration databases. It's easy for them to send mass mailouts to companies who, not knowing any better, think it's for real and pay it. And since the website goes on as usual, most never even realize they've paid unnecessarily, to a scammer.
Every time I get one (I've gotten several over the years) I have enough doubt that I go to whois and verify that my domain is NOT up for renewal anytime soon. But really, I never receive snail mail from my real domain registrars. They always e-mail me, or call me, and I recognize their name.

 

[EmptyNest]

They just found you...this is as old as the hills. NEVER pay anything that comes to you like this or if they email, snail mail or call. NEVER! I have one client who got caught on it. He'll never learn. I have him trained now...he always sends to me to check. DELETE ALWAYS.

 

[Silverspoon]

I think they got the idea from all those YP look alikes who do the same thing..

We have been targeted for e-mail scams like this over the years but this is the first print scam that we have received. The topic of domain name scams hasn't come up recently on the forum so I figured that it warranted a mention for the newbees who might be unaware.

 

[gillumhouse]

I have been getting e-mails lately telling me domain names whatevervirginia.com (the whatever is because there have been several things) is available and they will secure it for me. As if I would use a virginia domain. We get enough - "oh I was in west virginia once, I went to richmond"

 

[user 26]

you have to be vigilant and there is always someone who hasn't seen it before ... so it's good to mention it.
i've told you here that i work for two non profits with lots of volunteers. i'm forever getting 'bills' handed to me by worried people thinking we're about to lose some service, subscription or other. they are babes in the woods!
they think ... a bill? better pay it quick, ask questions later. luckily, the bills come to me and i review them and issue the payments. some are very, very convincing. some i have to scout out and find out the truth. some things (like domain names) were purchased five years ago and i don't know off hand who they purchased them through.

 

[GeeMissus]

Just a heads up that they're still at it. Our company received an "invoice" from them last week. domain-listings.org

 

[GoodScout]

You get them all the time. You renew your domain through the hosting service you bought it from (GoDaddy, etc). Never by mail.
They use your information you gave when you registered your domain. You can pay extra to hide this (I don't) or you can just put your domain register's address as yours. Then they get all the junk mail.

 

[EmptyNest]

I warn my clients about these scammers all the time. Usually their domains are set up for auto renewal yearly with hosting company and the are told this when they start hosting. You have to be careful. These letters have been around for ages.

 

[harritah]

My suggestion, for what it's worth, is for everyone to go back into the control panel from the domain hosting company and mark yourself as "unidentified" or whatever the choice is from the company.

I own many domain names. The renewals come to you as a sort of "by the way, on X date, we are going to renew your auto-renewal unless you change a setting and cancel it." It reminds me to make sure I have enough funds in that particular account. I do NOT receive notices from these other companies because I am anonymous as the owner. They have no clue.

One of the websites has a slew of email addresses attached to the site because there is a Board of Trustees involved. It is THERE that we get emails sent to the Treasurer or President which will say something like, "www.domainname.cn" or www.domainname.ru" will come in. These are people offering us to buy the Chinese or Russian extension (or supposedly someone else will - ja, good luck....) of our highly esteemed website. We laugh. If the Chinese or Russians want to be a historical costuming group, go for it! LOL

Glad to know that EmptyNest gave good advice in this thread. Have a great week! Rita

 

[jiseanhenric]

SCAM ALERT
Received a printed Invoice by regular post for renewal of our Domain Name today. The sheet said it was our annual renewal notice for $109. The thing is, I always record our expiration date (2017) and did not recognize the company, http://www.domain-listings.org. Their web site is worthless so that is a big tip off. The invoice from Domain Listings is obviously looking for unsuspecting owners who might just pay the invoice without checking. They make it convenient to put your credit card # on the sheet and provide an envelope to mail it back. Don't do it.

Thanks Silverspoon for letting know about this information. This is super important and I'll keep note of it.