Domain Name Scams

There seems to be another flurry of bogus messages from Domain Registry Services, EU Registry Service and Domain Registry of America telling you that you domain is just about to expire and seeking to get you to renew through them.

Here is the text from one message on the subject:

"I recently received a 'domain expiration notice' letter from a firm calling themselves Domain Registry Services, based in Cambridge. I passed it to our IT partner who, after some investigation, confirmed that it is indeed a scam. As well as bringing it to your attention I have notified our local trading standards office.

We regularly come across a similar thing with bogus data protection registration companies but the Information Commissioner's website has a list of known bogus companies so it's fairly easy to check them out. Does the same exist anywhere for these fraudulent domain registration companies?

If not, maybe such a list cold be set up, at the very least business needs to be made more aware of this disgraceful practice, and it and others like it need to be stamped out.

I know we are not the first to be sent these letters and we won't be the last, indeed I have heard of companies who, thinking they have received a bona fide letter, pay the extortionate sum which is demanded. This practice needs to be stamped out.

(End of quote)

Easyspace, one of the largest web hosting providers has posted a message on their site regarding this scam. See message.

If you have any doubt about who is the technical authority through which your domain is registered, and therefore the company who will correctly handle renewals, go to Easyspace's website - or any other domian register provider - and search on the WhoIs record.