Joseph Sless | 11 Jun 2008
Some people have been getting some strange phone calls recently. Domain name scams are becoming increasingly popular as unscrupulous companies try to take advantage of a general lack of knowledge.
You may have received one of these calls and may even have paid out for one of their expensive services. A little knowledge may help you avoid spending money on domain names or renewals that aren’t required.
Expiring Domains Names
The biggest example of a domain name scam relates to expiring domains. You may receive a call or letter informing you that your domain is about to expire and that you need to renew immediately or risk losing your website, emails and domain name. They will then try to sell you a domain renewal at an inflated price (sometimes 10-20 times the normal rate).
Only your web designer or the company that you originally registered the domain name with would contact you with this news. They would either renew it for you automatically or alert you when it’s due for renewal. If you have any doubt, simply contact your web designer.
In-Demand
Another domain name scam is the ‘in-demand domain’. This works in a similar way to the expiring domain. You would receive a phone call telling you that a third party wishes to register a domain name similar to your own and that you can avoid them owning it by purchasing it yourself (at a higher price). For example, our domain name is www.edenlight.co.uk so we may get a call offering us www.edenlightuk.com or similar.
This is always a scam. Unless you have expressly registered your interest in a certain domain, it is extremely unlikely that you will receive a call from a reputable company offering this service. They are simply trying to sell you something you probably don’t need. If the domain they mention is of interest simply ask your web designers to register it for you, or do it yourself online – it will be much cheaper.
If you have any queries regarding domain names, we would be more than happy to advise you, so please get in touch
PBS UK Ltd are a specialist business outsourcing provider based in the East Midlands offering services such as UK & International Payroll, HR and BACS Payments.
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UK Payroll
International Payroll
BACS Payment Services
Recruitment and business services in Nottingham and the West Midlands.
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