Beware Domain Services and Domain Listings Scams
Have you recently received an invoice or bill from a tech company you’ve never heard of before? As a business owner, it’s crucial to protect your online presence by regularly renewing your domain name. However, with the rise of domain services scams, it’s important to be vigilant when it comes to notifications regarding your domain name. These scams can come in the form of mail or email, and they’re designed to trick you into paying for something you don’t need.
In this blog post, we’ll explain how these scams work and how you can protect yourself.
What are domain listings scams, and how do they work?
Domain listings scams are a type of scam that targets businesses and individuals who own domain names. These scams typically involve unsolicited correspondence, such as mail or email, that falsely claims to be from the business’s domain registrar or another legitimate domain name service provider. The correspondence may look like an invoice or a notice of expiration and request payment for services that are either unnecessary or already paid for. These types of scams could result in identity theft, financial losses, and damage to your online presence.
It’s important to note that these scams don’t just imitate domain registrars: They can also claim to provide other domain name services, such as privacy protection and web hosting providers.
How to recognize a domain listings scam
First and foremost, it’s essential to read all notifications thoroughly. This includes any correspondence you receive in the mail or via email that claims to be related to your domain name. Even if the notification looks official and legitimate, it’s important to double-check with your domain registrar to confirm the validity of the notification.
One of the most common tactics used by scammers is to make the notification look like an invoice. The letter or email may have a header that closely resembles that of your domain registrar, and it may even include your company’s name and other details. The scammer may also use language that makes the notification sound urgent, such as “please renew your domain name before it expires” or “failure to renew your domain name may result in the loss of your online presence.”
Often, these scam letters will contain the words “not a bill” in an attempt to remain legal. However, scammers may try to disguise this by using different wording or hiding it in fine print.
Tips to protect your business from domain listings scams
To protect your business from falling victim to a domain listings scam, we recommend following these best practices:
- Always read notifications thoroughly and double-check with your domain registrar to confirm the validity of any notification.
- Beware any correspondence that looks like an invoice and contains language that makes it sound urgent.
- Beware of notifications that state “not a bill,” and look for it in the fine print.
- Keep your contact information for your domain registrar up to date and ensure that you have the correct contact details for your business on file.
By following these best practices, you can help protect your business from domain scams and ensure your online presence remains secure.
The bottom line: Be vigilant about your domain name
In summary, domain name scams are on the rise, and it’s important to protect your business by being vigilant when it comes to notifications about your domain name. Domain names do expire, so make sure you’re keeping up to date with your payments—but don’t let yourself be fooled by scammers. Always read notifications thoroughly; double-check with your domain registrar to confirm the validity of any notification; and beware of any correspondence that looks like an invoice, contains language that makes it sound urgent, or states “not a bill.”
If you need help maintaining or updating your web presence, MCG’s team is here for you. Reach out today to learn how we can take your website to the next level.
