Is this a scam? Domain notice..

cormie · 07-03-2015 9:48am #1

I'm usually able to spot spam emails and companies trying to get you to believe you need to sign up with them to keep your domain, but this is a strange one:

FROM: txu@nus.asia

(This is a very important case, so please transfer this email to your CEO or appropriate person. Thanks a lot.)

Dear CEO/Principal,

We are the department of Asian Domain Registration Service in China. Here I have something to confirm with you. We formally received an application on March 6, 2015 that a company claimed "TaoLan Tran Company" were applying to register "vantasks" as their Net Brand and some "vantasks" Asian countries top-level domain names through our firm.

Now we are handling this registration, and after our initial checking, we found the name were similar to your company's, so we need to check with you whether your company has authorized that company to register these names. If you authorized this, we would finish the registration at once. If you did not authorize, please let us know within 7 workdays, so that we could handle this issue better. After the deadline we will unconditionally finish the registration for "TaoLan Tran Company" Looking forward to your prompt reply.

Best Regards,

Is there a scam here or is it a genuine email and if so, any suggestions on what to do with the other company?

cgarvey · 07-03-2015 1:51pm

Very much a scam (expect a few more like it).

cormie · 07-03-2015 1:52pm

What's the scam though? What are they trying to trick me into doing do you know?

mikom · 07-03-2015 1:56pm

cormie wrote: »

What's the scam though? What are they trying to trick me into doing do you know?

I presume accepting will sign you up for years and years of fees.

cormie · 07-03-2015 2:00pm

They aren't asking me to sign up to anything though, only asking me if I gave another company permission to use the name

All I have to do is reply that I didn't give anyone permission?

07-03-2015 2:01pm

cormie wrote: »

What's the scam though? What are they trying to trick me into doing do you know?

Purchase vantasks.cn, vantasks.vn, vantasks.la etc. etc. Probably at exorbitant prices

Kenny Logins · 07-03-2015 2:12pm

Yeah, they're hoping you'll try to block the registration by buying the (worthless) domains yourself.

jimmii · 07-03-2015 2:14pm

We've had a good few of these nothing to worry about give it a google nothing but scam alerts!

cormie · 07-03-2015 2:18pm

Ah jaysus, of course, didn't even think of the whole buying the ****ty domains trick, of course of course now it makes sense

lack of sleep does that to you

Trojan · 07-03-2015 8:29pm

This is the Asian take on the old "domain re-registration form by post" scam (where you're signing up to transfer registrars and renew your .com at €895/year when you read the small print).

Caveat emptor.

mikom · 07-03-2015 8:38pm

mikom wrote: »

I presume accepting will sign you up for years and years of fees.

cormie wrote: »

They aren't asking me to sign up to anything though, only asking me if I gave another company permission to use the name All I have to do is reply that I didn't give anyone permission?

As I said........

Trojan wrote: »

This is the Asian take on the old "domain re-registration form by post" scam (where you're signing up to transfer registrars and renew your .com at €895/year when you read the small print).

Caveat emptor.

mneylon · 08-03-2015 10:13pm

It's been going on for years.

There's a variation where they actually ring you up and spin you a similar story.

kaloshma · 07-05-2015 5:34pm

Was actually thinking they are some kind of larger van company trying to use the same name with your permission.
Looks totally armless from outside.
Interesting....

Is this a scam? Domain notice..

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