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Fake Domain Renewal Scam

What Is Domain Slamming?…Don’t Fall Victim

Last Updated: 06/26/24 | Published On: April 22, 2024 | Author: Liz Eisworth
Table of Contents

    Fake Domain Name Renewal Scams Still Alive & Well in 2024

    Avoid Domain Slamming Scams We’re still hearing from clients regularly who have been hit with a Domain Slamming scheme (aka fake domain renewal) recently. When we wrote this article many, many years ago, the bulk of the Domain Scams arrived via regular mail. Now they arrive via email, contact forms on websites, and even social media.

    What Is Domain Slamming (aka Fake Domain Renewal Scam)?

    Domain Slamming Is the act of tricking someone into transferring their domain registration from their existing registrar to a new registrar, and charging inflated registration fees as part of the process.

    Here’s what you need to know to avoid falling victim to this scam.

    What a Fake Domain Name Renewal Looks Like

    An official-looking letter or email arrives stating that your domain name is about to expire (see examples further down on the page). At first glance, it looks legit enough and the notice is emphatic about how "Urgent" the matter is. You're not sure when your domain expires, so you pay the requested fee, fill out the form or paperwork and go about your business.

    By completing this transaction, unknowingly, you have transferred the registration of your domain to an unscrupulous registrar and you’ve become the victim of “Domain Slamming.”

    When you pay the slammer, you’ve transferred your domain to them and you are now their customer. Depending on your configuration, this can cause your website or email to go offline. In the worst case scenario, you can lose ownership of your domain. You’ve also probably paid more than your standard domain renewal.

    Learn more about these other common scams:

    • Google Business Profile Ownership Request
    • USPS Delivery Text Scam
    • Image Copyright Infringement Scam

    How Domain Slamming Works

    How Do Domain Slammers Get Your Information?

    If you have not paid for a Private Registration, your web address, contact information and the date your domain expires are all public information. Domain slammers get this information and send out notices by mail or email.

    Why Do Domain Slammers Try to Get You to Transfer Your Domain?

    Usually, the slammer's goal is to get people to transfer domain names over to the slammer's registrar, usually at a much higher price than typical domain registrations. It's just about the money. Not only are their registration fees easily 10X a regular registration fee, many times the victims will leave their registration at the new registrar and continue to pay the higher fee annually.

    How to Identify a Scam Domain Renewal

    Beware the URGENT domain renewal letter Beware the "Urgent Renewal Notice"

    Scam Domain Registrations use Scary Language Like "Urgent" and "Failure to Complete."

    The slammer makes it appear that they are your existing registrar (the company that registered your domain) and that they are routinely asking you to renew your domain. Sometimes, their notices contain warnings in big, bold print, such as, “URGENT RENEWAL NOTICE,” or, “YOUR DOMAIN IS ABOUT TO EXPIRE.”

    Look for these Tell-Tale Words

    Scam domain name renewals will almost always include language that "technically" identifies the notification as a solicitation. Typically the word "solicitation" or "offer" is somewhere in the communication which most likely protects them from legal action.

    Example:

    Domain Renewal Scam Email

    Example of Domain Slamming Letter
    Example of a Domain Slamming letter.

    Don't Be Fooled!

    Ignore any correspondence from a registrar unless you know for certain that it is the company with whom you originally registered your domain. Domain Slammers make it look like they are your registrar and they also make it appear as if they are giving you a great deal to renew your domain. Don’t fall for it. (See more examples of domain registration scams below » )

    Renew Your Domain Name Legitimately

    If you do not know who your current registrar is, or if you do not know your domain expiration date, look it up. As domain slammers have proven, it’s easy! Search the WhoIs database for your domain name and make note of your registrar and your expiration date.

    You may receive renewal/expiration notices at 90, 60 and 30 days out from your actual registrar letting you know about the upcoming renewal or expiration.

    If you are a SangFroid Web hosting client, we most likely renew your domain for you and send you an annual invoice.  If you are not our client (or if you are our client but you login and manage your own accounts) you should simply log in to your domain registrar and renew prior to your domain expiration date.

    Recommendations to Help Prevent Domain Slamming

    • Extend your domain registration for many years.   Renew your domain for 5 or even 10 years.  You'll have peace of mind knowing that your domain is secure and paid-for.
    • Set up auto-renewal.  If you do not want to renew for many years, at least sign up for domain name auto-renewal.  Your name will never lapse (just be sure to keep your payment info up to date), and you can ignore all renewal solicitations. One less thing to worry about!
    • Lock your domain. Make sure your domain name is locked at your current registrar which can help prevent unauthorized transfers.

    What to Do if You Think You Fell for a Domain Renewal Scam

    The 2 main things you want to do is to 1) stop the domain name transfer from completing and 2) get your money back.

    1. Stop the Domain Name Transfer if Possible

    Contact your domain registrar where you registered your domain name and explain what happened and make sure your domain is locked. Ask if they have any other internal processes that you should put in place to prevent the domain from being transferred away to a different registrar. Transferring a domain typically requires a couple of verification steps along the way, so hopefully since you caught it so soon, you can avoid any issues with your site going down, etc.

    2. Try to Get Your Money Back

    Take steps to get your money back from the company that solicited the renewal, and if that is not possible, you can consider calling your credit card company if you cannot get a direct refund.

    These letters and emails are typically offered by actual domain registrars, so I do think it is possible to get a refund if you can get in touch with them. The practice is not technically illegal so you are likely dealing with an actual 'legit' company, but It's a super-shady marketing technique.

    If you believe you have been the victim of domain slamming, or if you have any doubt as to whether a domain renewal notice is legitimate, call or email us. We’ll help you sort it out.

    More Examples of Domain Name Registration Scams and Unnecessary Listing Services Solicitations Below

    domainnetworks.com Domain Listing Solicitation
    domainnetworks.com Domain Listing Service Solicitation...Not technically a solicitation for renewal.
    United States Domain Authority Domain Solicitation
    United States Domain Authority Domain Solicitation

    Example: Text of a Recent Domain Slamming Email from webnameregister.com
    (which is currently flagged by Cloudflare as a suspected phishing website)

    Email: noreply@webnameregister[dot]com

    Message: The domain (s) listed below are due to expire in our certificate database within the next 24 hours:

    *****. com (2021-09-03)

    Subscribe to the ******* telegram channel and then don't say that you weren't warned: https://t.me/******* .
    Your invoice is currently OVERDUE. Your automated payment method may have expired or failed for technical reasons.

    Upon expiration, your registration will automatically enter into a grace period in PENDING-DELETE status. During this time, the domain certificate will not be accessible so any web site authentication or email services associated with it will stop working. Do take note that if no payment is made within next 3 days, all data will be purged and deleted.

    SECURE ONLINE PAYMENT:
    https://webnameregister [dot] com/*********

    Please ensure that you submit payment in full AS SOON AS POSSIBLE to avoid any suspension or possible TERMINATION of service to *****. Com.

    Disclaimer: We can not be held legally liable for any claims, damage or loss that you may incur because of the cancellation of *****. Com. Any such damages may include but are not exclusively limited to: monetary losses, deleted data without backups, loss of position in search rankings, missed appointments, undelivered email and any other service, business or technical damages that you may suffer. For more information please refer to section 41.a.2.f of our Terms of Service.

    This is the final renewal notice which we are legally required to communicate about the expiration of *****. Com certificate.

    We support the environment and ask that you please consider the planet before printing this notice on paper. Our organization is proud to be part of the Zero-Carbon Waste Congress environmental group.

    All web services will be restored automatically on *******.com and associated systems upon full receipt of payment. We thank you for your urgent attention to this matter and continued business.

    SECURE ONLINE PAYMENT:
    https://webnameregister [dot] com/******* .com/a/ **************/v1

    Example: Domain Name Solicitation Scam Submitted via a Website Contact Form

    Notice#: 491343
    Date: 2021-01-05

    YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION TO THIS MESSAGE IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY!

    YOUR DOMAIN **********.com WILL BE TERMINATED WITHIN 24 HOURS

    We have not received your payment for the renewal of your domain **********.com

    We have made several attempts to reach you by phone, to inform you regarding the TERMINATION of your domain **********.com

    CLICK HERE FOR SECURE ONLINE PAYMENT: http://yourdomainfirm[DOT]xyz/?n= **********.com&r=a&t=REDACTED&p=v1

    IF WE DO NOT RECEIVE YOUR PAYMENT WITHIN 24 HOURS, YOUR DOMAIN **********.com WILL BE TERMINATED

    ACT IMMEDIATELY.

    The submission notification **********.com will EXPIRE WITHIN 24 HOURS after reception of this email

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    Category: Best Practices • Common Scams • Domain Name Registration • WebCoach Newsletter • Website Security
    Avatar for Liz Eisworth

    About Liz Eisworth

    Liz Eisworth is the founder and lead designer of SangFroid Web located in Alpharetta, GA. As an experienced website designer and SEO strategist, Liz designs custom WordPress websites, optimizes websites for SEO, and leverages Local SEO / Google Business Profiles for business owners who are looking to improve their online presence to earn more traffic and leads. She built her first website for a business in 2003 and her first WordPress website in 2006. Learn more about Liz »

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