Domain Name Registration Scams

Contributed by Claudette Foxcroft

Who Performs Domain Name Registration Anyway?

The company from whom you lease your domain name registration, or the pointer to your site's server, is called a domain name registrar. An important thing to remember that your domain name is not your actual web site, but rather a tool which points visitors on the internet to the spot you hold on your web site's host, or server. Unfortunately, like most tools available on the world wide web, domain name registration can be used by scam artists to cheat others, mostly those unfamiliar with internet terms and services.

The Two Most Popular Types of Domain Name Registration Scams

One method used to cheat unwary internet web site owners out of their money is to send a letter by email, fax, or regular mail, informing them that their domain name is close to its expiration date. These companies falsely claim that web site owners will lose their domain name if they fail to send payment in a matter of days. The sneaky characters running this scam are actually trying to steal your business away from their competitors.

The form they enclose for their 'victim' to sign actually gives them permission to take domain name away from the company with whom the web site owner originally registered.

Another dishonest practice performed by domain name registration scam artists is one offering an alternative domain name registration. Web site owners receive a notification that another domain name has become available to them. This new domain name looks almost like the one they have already registered, except for the the extension.

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