# Scam Alert! Watch out for domain renewal letters and emails

> It’s a sad and disturbing truth of the internet that scams are rife. Even more disturbing is the fact most scams are becoming sophisticated enough to look genuine, making them difficult to spot. Pesky scammers will try just about anything…
> URL: https://dash.marketing/blog/scam-alert-watch-out-for-domain-renewal-letters-and-emails/
> Last modified: 2025-04-10T09:39:34+00:00

It’s a sad and disturbing truth of the internet that scams

are rife. Even more disturbing is the fact most scams are becoming sophisticated

enough to look genuine, making them difficult to spot. Pesky scammers will try

just about anything to get your money, and in a recent bout of evil, they’ve been

busy targeting the owners of website domains.

## Who is affected by this scam?

If you have ever registered a website address or ‘domain

name’ then you could be a potential victim. We’ve had several clients recently

contact us concerned or confused about domain renewal emails and letters (yes,

actual posted letters) they have received from companies. Unfortunately, scam

companies can easily get these personal details from minimal research and by using

the

[WHOIS database](http://whois.domaintools.com/) – a worldwide database

that holds information on web address owners.

## What companies are the culprits?

We’re currently aware of three primary scam companies; the ‘Domain

Registry of America’ (DROA), ‘Domain Name Group’ and ‘Domain Register’.

However, there are undoubtedly others and domain renewal scams are by no means a

new thing. They’ve been around for well over a decade and new scam companies

can pop up at any time. It’s always worth being vigilant and doing your

homework when any company asks you to part with money, no matter how ‘genuine’

they may look.

*Example letter from Domain Registry of America.*

## What are the warning signs?

Domain name renewal scams often follow one of two methods. In

one method, web address owners are sent an invoice for a domain name that is

very similar, but not identical, to their current web address (for example

**www.dashmedia.org.au** instead of **www.dashmedia.com.au**). With this

approach, scammers hope you simply won’t notice the difference and pay the

invoice.

The second method involves the scam company sending you an

email or letter that appears to be a renewal notice for your actual web

address. However, the company will be different from the company you have

registered your domain with, and will often ask for a small fortune to renew

your domain (usually $250+).

To ensure you don’t fall victim to these scams, look for

these common warning signs:

- A letter or email that appears to be an invoice

for domain name renewal.

- The website address on the invoice is similar to

your own website address, but not identical.

- The letter or email coming from a company you

are unfamiliar with and haven’t registered a domain with.

*****

***TIP:** If you’ve forgotten who you’ve registered with (we’ve

all done it) then you can check by typing your web address into the

[WHOIS database](https://www.whois.net/) and scrolling down until you

see information under the heading ‘Registrar’.

## What do you do if you suspect you’re being scammed?

Because scammers are becoming more intelligent at hiding the

fact they are scamming, it’s wise to keep your wits about you and ask for

advice if you have even the smallest suspicion you might be a victim.

Our

[support team](mailto:support@dashmedia.com.au)

loathes the scam artists of the world and will be happy to help you identify if

you’re being scammed. Simply send an email to

**support@dashmedia.com.au** and we’ll get back to you with help and

advice.

We also recommend reporting any suspected internet

scam to the

[ACCC scam watch website](https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/694011). Reporting scams helps the government crackdown on scam companies

and reduces the chance of others becoming a victim.

Hopefully, you’ll be safe and won’t have been affected, but

don’t panic, because we’re always here to help if you suspect you have!