What Every Business Owner Should Watch Out For
Owning a domain name is a must for any business today. But with ownership comes responsibility—and unfortunately, a fair share of spam and scams. If you’ve ever received an email warning you that your domain is about to expire, or a letter in the mail urging you to “renew now” with an unfamiliar company, you’re not alone.
Domain scams are common, and they can cost businesses money, time, and even their website if they’re not careful.
Common Types of Domain Scams
1. Fake Renewal Notices
Scammers often send official-looking emails or letters claiming that your domain is about to expire. They’ll urge you to renew immediately—usually at a much higher price than your actual registrar charges. If you fall for it, you’re either paying unnecessary fees or handing over control of your domain.
2. Domain Appraisal or Listing Scams
You might get an email saying someone wants to buy your domain, but you first need to pay for an “official appraisal.” Once you pay, the buyer disappears—or never existed in the first place.
3. Domain Name Slamming
This happens when a scammer tricks you into transferring your domain away from your current, legitimate registrar to their own service, usually with hidden fees and poor support.
4. Trademark Protection Scams
Some scammers claim that another company is trying to register a domain similar to yours (like yourbusiness.net if you own yourbusiness.com). They’ll try to scare you into buying unnecessary domains right away.
5. Phishing Emails
Hackers send fake login pages that look like your registrar’s website. If you enter your login credentials, they steal them and can lock you out of your own domain.
How to Protect Yourself
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Know your registrar – Always remember where you registered your domain. Common registrars include GoDaddy, Namecheap, or Google Domains.
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Ignore suspicious emails and letters – If you get a renewal notice from a company you don’t recognize, don’t click links or pay fees.
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Enable domain privacy protection – This hides your contact info in the public WHOIS database, reducing spam.
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Use two-factor authentication – Add extra security to your registrar account so hackers can’t get in with just a password.
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Renew early, directly with your registrar – Log in to your official account and manage your domain there.
Final Thoughts
Your domain is one of your most valuable digital assets—it’s your online address and a critical part of your brand. Don’t let scammers take advantage of you.
By transferring your domain to the registrar managed by North Country Website Design, you gain peace of mind. You’ll never need to pay a website-related bill unless it comes directly from us. This way, if you ever receive a domain invoice in the mail, you’ll know it’s a scam.
At North Country Website Design, we help clients not only create and manage websites but also keep their domains secure. If you ever receive a suspicious domain notice and aren’t sure what’s real, reach out—we’re here to help.