Today, I received a letter in snail mail for a $289 bill to register my domain name of biz-comm.com. The sender’s name was US Domain Authority, PO Box 1280, Hendersonville, NC 28793.
Hendersonville is a nearby town.
The letter included my registrar’s name, Network Solutions, which I have been with since 1996. It provided a link to pay with a validation number. It looks very “official.”
THIS IS BOGUS! In fine print, it says “This is not a bill.” But, “Return by deadline to avoid (offer) expiration.” Note, not domain expiration, but “offer” expiration.
Yeah, right.
To those less than aware about scams, this could trick someone into paying so not to lose their domain name.
To my clients: 99% of you let me register your domain(s) in your own name/contact but under my master Network Solutions account so that I can keep track of due dates, etc. I haven’t ever–in 25 years–lost any domains by using my base original Network Solutions account. A few clients have used other registrars, and sadly to say, some have lost their domains. Whether poor registry security or user-error, it is a sad fact that domains can be lost.
At any rate, if you receive a bogus letter or email, please always check with us before you pay any registration fee. If you are managed under Biz-comm’s account with Network Solutions, your registration fee is included with your annual hosting bills and you are not billed separately. If you are using your own registration set up, it doesn’t hurt to ask first before paying it.
Stay safe and check with us first.
