Domain Renewal and Registration Scams

As car dealers start buying dozens of domain names as they embark on a microsite strategy, they will also see an increase is domain renewal scams appearing in your postal mailbox and email box.

They look like legitimate invoices for a domain name. I have attached one that we received today that my office that was about to approved by my assistant. I have also included copies of scams from other organizations that have mailed me invoices.

As my consulting company has grown, I don't see all the mail first hand so it reminded me that many ADM members and executives are in the same boat. So, please send out a memo to all people that handle your Accounts Payable to remind them that any domain renewals or registration "invoices" must be reviewed prior to payment.

Web Listings Inc.

The invoice I received today was from a company called Web Listings Inc. and this is just one of the scams that exist. They send people an invoice for a domain that THEY DON'T OWN, and if you pay the bill they MAY buy it and then get you on a renewal scam.

Depending on the offer, these companies also promise to register the domain in valuable directories or even optimize some keywords. It's all a scam. Other companies that are also scams include:

Domain Registry of America
EU Registry Services
Domain Registry of Canada
Domain Listing Center Inc.

These companies are making millions of dollars each year by sending business owners invoices for domain names that they may or may not own. Please spread the word to all business owners about these scams.

Tip: This article is also a good post to place on your car dealer Facebook page because it applies to all businesses and it shows that you care about your customers.

Here are some other sample invoices that are all scams: