Domain Name Scams

Domain registration fraud may come in a variety of ways. A scammer may send you an invoice to renew your current domain name (ex: phonyinvoices.com) or you may be asked to register a domain that appears to be yours, but is slightly different (ex: phonyinvoices.com.us). Scammers capitalize on people’s inattention to detail and inexperience. If you end up paying to “renew” a domain name that is slightly different than your existing domain, you unwittingly registered for a new domain altogether. One question you need to consider is: “Is this renewal invoice from the same company I used to register my domain originally?” Sometimes scammers send you an invoice to renew your existing domain when you did not use their services for registration originally. Before you submit any paperwork or payment:

• Read the fine print to identify if the invoice is a solicitation
• Review your files and determine if you have had any preexisting business relationship with the invoicing company
• Determine when it is time to renew your domain because you may be asked to renew prematurely

If you discover that you’ve done business with a scammer or a new domain name registration provider, cancelling the payment with your payment authority will usually stop the transaction. You should also report any domain name scams to your industry association to warn other organizations of the fraudulent business practice.