TPP Internet was recently made aware of the latest domain renewal scam which is coming to registrants contacts email addresses from a “ISP Renewal” company claiming to be in UK (Whois shows the fraudster originates from Russia/Latvia).
The email sent to registrants appears as a legitimate renewal reminder notification, which registrants often do not read and simply pay, which results in website and email downtime when the domain is not renewed as per the notice.
This is a fairly standard renewal scam, where the perpetrator had illegally searched and harvested the publically available Whois database of the .com/.net/.info/.biz Registries and used the information to contact the registrants in the hope that they will pay without reading the notice.
Please be aware the notice requests renewal but no authorisation to transfer the domain registration away from your current Registrar.
A “Registrar” (or “Domain Name Registrar”) is an organisation like TPP Internet or MelbourneIT that has control over the granting of domains within certain TLDs (top level domains, like the generic .com/.org/.net or country-specific .au, .nz .co.uk etc.) This company is collecting registrant’s funds without the ability to process the renewal.
Below is an example of the text of this email notice:
Your domain name www.domain.info will expire 2009-12-21.
You can renew your domain automatically with ISP Renewal. Click on the link below in order to extend your domain for an additional year. You will receive a confirmation when your domain is extended.
Click here to renew your domain now.
——–> http://www.isprenewal.com/for. php?d=www.domain.info <http://www.isprenewal.com/for.php?d=www.domain.info>
You will receive a confirmation when the payment has been recorded and your domain has been renewed.
Additional information about ISP Renewal
ISP Renewal administrates domain addresses. ISP Renewal also consults companies in relation to Internet domain ownership. We inform enterprises about their domain portfolio, and remind businesses if a domain is due to expire and inform when it is time to renew a domain. If you choose ISP Renewal to renew your domain for you, we ask you to click on the link above. If you do not wish to extend your domain you may disregard this e-mail. When ISP Renewal renews your domain no “Whois” information will be changed The domain will be renewed for another year. You will continue with your current Domain Service Provider. You can also request your existing Domain Service Provider to renew your domain. If you have any other enquiries or questions, please contact our customer service center at +44 20 3355 4951 or via E-mail: support@isprenewal.net
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Kind regards,
Natalie Larosa
General Manager
