Domain name scams have existed for years, with many originating in China, but this year the proverbial “fuel to the fire” came in the form of ICANN launching a multitude of new domain extensions and preparing to launch 700 more within the next 24 months.

A domain extension is simply the information “on the other side of the dot” (.com, .uk, .cn). This only adds to the confusion of sifting through possible Domain Name Scams because anyone can send you an email saying that someone in the world is preparing to register your domain with one or more of these 100s of extensions.

In light of this, Lehman, Lee & Xu has prepared a comprehensive guide to provide you with all the information you need to identify a Domain Name Scam and save both the stress and money of falling victim to this rapidly growing con. In addition to reading this guide please use any of the attached resources to confirm the legitimacy of both email addresses and websites and compare any emails you receive with the scam emails enclosed herein.   

Types of Domain Name Scam Emails

There are three main types of Domain Name Scams to watch out for. The first type involves an organization (holding a very official title) contacting you with the urgent news that they have discovered another organization (with a very obscure title) looking to register domain names that are very similar to your own. The domain names referred to almost always include your domain name with a countless possibility of attached endings (.hk, .cn, .tw, etc.). They say, if you don’t act quickly, this obscurely named entity will, within only a few days, register the domains and damage your brand equity.

The second type of domain name scam consists of a pleasant email reminder prompting you to renew a domain name that looks similar to your own but is actually slightly altered. And finally, the third nature of this scam comes in the form of a reminder asking you to restore your domain name. However, the reminder comes from a registrar different from that with which you originally applied for the domain. In terms of prevalent domain name scams coming from China, the first type of scam is the most common and almost viral with regards to how many individuals have and are receiving it.

There are email templates you may refer to in order to match an email you receive with the style and tone of those identified as being scams. Additionally, you may check a list of actual scam emails submitted online by wary netizens who identified the scam.

Key Terms Used

Organizations that may Contact you:

• China Domain Name Registration Center
• Asian Domain Registration Service in China
• The Department of Registration Service in China

Popular Language in Scam Emails

• Urgent brand registration confirmation
• Domain dispute and protection
• Asia, CN, HK domain name and Internet Keyword
• Notice of Brand Name Registration
• Please transfer this email to your CEO
• We have received an application formally

If You Respond to the Scam

If you decide to respond to the email you receive, and it is indeed a scam, often you will be sent a quote for registering the domain names and then asked to sign the quote and return it. If you ignore this email someone may call to pressure you to take action and then set an urgent deadline for you to adhere to. However, many times ignoring the email will result in only a couple more instances of correspondence and then end abruptly. Most critical is the ability to identify this type of email from the beginning. Therefore, please take full advantage of the list of Scam related email addresses, scam related websites, and related individuals that Lehman, Lee & Xu has prepared for your reference.
If you feel that you have been sent an email that seems to be a Domain Name Scam, feel free to email mail@lehmanlaw.com for further information.
 Resources:

• Template Domain Name Scam Emails
• Actual Domain Name Scam Emails
• List of Individuals known to be involved in Domain Name Scams
• List of Websites Associated with Domain Name Scams
• List of Email Addresses Associated with Domain Name Scams