Estimated Read Time: 3 Minutes
Your business website’s domain name is one of the most important parts of your brand. Customers use it to find you online, you place it in your marketing material, and it is a key factor when determining your organic search ranking.
Scammers know this, and that is why domain name scams are one of the most common we see business owners receive. In this month’s Vortex Marketing Blog, we’ll detail how to identify potential scams and protect your business.
Note: this article was originally posted in January 2021, but we have noticed an increase in scams targeting our clients, and thought that updating this with some additional information would be prudent.
What Is a Domain Scam?
A domain scam is when a malicious third party tries to take control of your business’ domain name. If someone controls your domain name, they can manipulate where users are sent when they visit your website.
The most common scam we see involves an email falsely claiming that your domain is expiring, and you need to renew it through their provided link. These can come in the form of official-looking invoices, urgent emails, or email addresses that look similar to common registrars like GoDaddy. We’ve even seen these delivered through traditional post!
While domain scams take different forms, the main defining characteristic is that they are impersonating your registrar in an attempt to gain control of your domain.
Common Domain Scams
One of the most common scams we have seen this year has been a letter in the mail from the US Domain Authority, claiming that you need to pay them anywhere between $75 and $300 for an “annual website domain listing.”
This letter looks very official, which is why it can catch some unsuspecting business owners off guard. But be warned: do not pay this company. It is a scam.