Domain Registry of America Scam Alert

Several people across the country have been receiving letters in the mail, like the one below, regarding renewal of their domain names as they are about to expire. These come with an invoice stating the dates of registration of your domain name and the date of expiry. Additionally, there is an invoice at the end of the letter to assist in the process of renewal. If you have received a similar letter in the mail, do not respond to it as it is most likely a scam. Read on to find out more about this scam and how you can be defrauded into transferring your domain name to another registry.

How it affects you
The letters that are being sent in bulk to several unsuspecting residents of the country are almost believable. This is because, as mentioned earlier, they talk in detail about your domain names, date of registration and date of expiry. What’s more, all the dates mentioned are correct or very close. But the fact is that the company, Domain Registry of America, is not a watchdog of domain registration. Rather, it’s a private firm that uses such tactics to fraudulently transfer your domain into its registry.

The invoice at the end of the letter contains details of what you should do and how you should pay for renewing your domain name. Once this is filled and the payment sent, you will be surprised to note that your domain name is now registered with a different company, instead of where you were registered before. Added to this is the fact that you will actually be paying more for renewing and registering your domain again than you would with your existing registry. Most often people pay between $10-12 per year to have their domains registered with a reputable company.

What makes this more alarming is the fact that the address given for the company, Domain Registry of America, is false. Almost always a Google map check on the address reveals that it is the address of some local company or business and is not a real one.

How it works
Before understanding the steps you should take to avoid becoming a victim of such fraud, it is important to understand how it works. Primarily, when you register any domain name for your business, it immediately becomes public as the default setting (unless you pay more to register it privately). This public information is easily accessible to anyone, including Domain Registry of America, which then adds your information to their system. This company waits for the period of your domain registration to expire. Towards the end, when it is up for renewal, they send you this letter along with the invoice, stating that it is obligatory to renew your domain. It further states in the mail that not renewing your domain name will ensure that you lose that name. This causes panic in the minds of most business owners who have a lot of business coming through that domain, which makes them renew it without reading the actual details in the letter. When you reply to this company, you are not only paying higher rates but are also transferring your domain from your existing registrar to a new one, which may result in even bigger problems.

How to steer clear of such scams
Whether you have received a similar note via the mail system, make sure you ignore it. Instead, go to your original domain registrar and seek their advice on how to protect your domain. Do not, at any cost, respond to such scams or pay the renewal fee.