DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES pay an invoice from the company “Domain Register Pty Ltd”.
This company has operated under various names over a number of years and while the scams vary slightly from invoices for domains you don’t own to very overpriced “renewal” invoices their motivations remain the same, to scam you out of money.
A number of clients of Anchor Web Design have contacted us recently to question “invoices” they have received regarding their domain names from this company. If your domain name was registered through Anchor Web Design your invoice will always come from us. If you’re ever uncertain, please don’t hesitate to contact us and ask our advice.
The Australian government has a website suggesting what to look out for and how to report domain name scams. www.scamwatch.gov.au
Some of the warning signs they offer are:
- You receive a letter that looks like an invoice for the registration or renewal of a domain name.
- The domain name listed in the invoice is very similar to your actual domain name, but may have a different ending. For example, it may end in .net.au instead of .com.au or the .au at the end may be missing.
- The domain name may be correct, but the letter is not from the company that you previously used to register your domain name.
They also offer some helpful advice including:
- Use your common sense: the offer may be a scam.
- Check the website address carefully. Scammers often set up fake websites with very similar addresses.
- Try to avoid having a large number of people authorised to make orders or pay invoices.
- Always check that goods or services were both ordered and delivered before paying an invoice.
- Make sure the business billing you is the one you normally deal with.
- Read all the terms and conditions of any offer very carefully: claims of free or very cheap offers often have hidden costs.
- You can contact your local office of fair trading, ASIC or the ACCC for assistance.