Best of the ISP-Lists

Domain Name Scam

Members of the ISP-Tech list discuss several scams that take advantage of people's ignorance of the laws regarding domain names. Be careful—although some are obvious, others are quite sophisticated.

[December 6, 2000]

On the ISP-Tech list in November, YK told a story,

"I just received a strange fax from a company called EDNM. The fax says that somebody wants a domain I'm using, and I have to reply to the fax within one day otherwise I'll lose the domain. Has anybody else run into this?"

BS recalled reading about YK's fax:

"EDNM was featured recently in the Rumors & Rants section of eWeek magazine. There's a lot more information online at http://www.electronicdomainnamemonitoring.com."

A number of respondents recalled similar experiences:

[LC suggested] "Sounds like sting. Contact your registrar immediately with a copy of the message; your registrar must be able to defend your usage of the name."

[BG added] "I've gotten them as well. There's lots of scammers out there. I'm not sure if that name is one of the ones I've gotten or not. The sad thing is, if they send out enough of them, I'm sure they do get money." JB explained that a group of ISPs in Australia have taken action together on scams like this:

"There are people in Australia who send out invoices for the renewal of .com.au domains. The faxes were designed to trick domain owners into submitting their renewal fees to these dodgy companies. We got a few ISPs together, and have now blocked access to the domains of the companies that were sending these fake invoices. Now visitors get a Consumer Alert where they can read important information regarding the companies concerned. You can view this at http://www.beyond.net.au/dna/.

Maybe you could organize a similar block. You may be surprised, your actions could bring minor victories: we forced one of these companies to change their name, as noted at Domain name reseller changes name after complaints."

But WW warned that such action might be more difficult in the US:

"Here it would bring lawsuits that would make them more money than their scam made them. Interfering with their business, regardless of how unethical it is (provided it is legal, and that one is just on the right side of that line), can bring heavy penalties against those who engage in the interference."

—End