Domain name scams

In the past 12 months, there has been an alarming increase in Domain name scams.

There is a growing trend for some interstate and even international IT companies to directly post you or email you an invoice for a web address that you don’t even own. e.g: You may own the .com.au version of your website address but they are invoicing you for the .com version that you have never agreed to purchase. The result, you end up paying a premium for the second website address, that you do not need, and usually, it is never pointed to your existing website, so you never derive any benefit from it.

Another popular scam is offering you a free gift, like an ipod shuffle, with your domain name purchase or renewal. Avoid these promotions. Firstly, you should not pay any more than $20 for a .com web address or $45 for a .com.au web address. Secondly, the gift is not actually a gift, you are paying for it, and at a premium. You would be better off going and buying it direct. Thirdly, I have heard stories of people having to chase up getting their free gift as well as proof that they actually own the new website address.

Here are some ways to check you are not being ripped off or scammed –

1. If you receive an invoice, talk to your original person who set up your website. Make sure you are meant to be receiving it.
2. Visit whois.domaintools.com and type in your website address to determine when your website address was last ‘modified’ (purchased/renewed). The date to renew your web address will be 2 years from this date for a .com.au and 1 year for most .com addresses.
3. Read your invoices carefully. Double check the website address and match it to your own. Keep an eye out for alternative spelling too.
4. If you do decide to purchase these new domain names, talk to your website designer or go online and buy direct from an Australian supplier. You could possibly find a cheaper offer.