Lawyer friends have told me that it’s funny that laypeople assume that they know everything about the law. Random people ask them questions about copyright, import/export, restraining orders, cybercrime, etc. Most lawyers are very specialized and don’t feel comfortable talking outside of their area of expertise. (Perhaps out of fear that they’ll then be sued by giving bad advice.)
The same is true with Web developers. Because I spend much of my day in front of my computer a lot of people assume I know everything about computers, the Internet, networking, spyware, etc.
In fact, one lawyer–a friend of a friend–who had just finished lamenting the above mentioned fact about lawyers, asked me what I did. "Oh, you work with computers? I have a question. Suddenly my computer at home is really slow. What’s causing that?"
(Oddly, I was able to diagnose it, despite the fact that she was on a PC and I live in a Mac world. I asked, "do you have a teenager who has recently downloaded some music file-sharing software?" That quickly led to what the issue most likely was.)
Wow…five paragraphs in and I’m still not to the point of the post. I must really be trying to avoid work today.
The point of today’s post is to announce a new category on our flyte blog called Ignore It! Every week, a client gets an email or a fax that should go directly to the circular file. Invariably, they instead send it to me. (I don’t blame them; if I get a scary looking tax thingy in the mail I immediately contact my accountant.)
To save time, and perhaps shame some of these companies into better practices, (hah!) I’m going to start blogging about them here. No, I won’t create any links to them and give them any of my PageRank, but I might post some phone numbers if I’m really pissed.
If you have any suggestions for additional companies to add, please contact us rather than using the comment fields below. Provide as much detail as you can.
Today’s Ignore It! Spotlight: Domain Registry Support
What this company is doing certainly isn’t illegal…just misleading. They see a company’s new domain registration the way street hustlers see fresh-faced teens getting off the bus in Los Angeles…fresh meat.
Once you’ve registered your domain (i.e., yourdomain.com,) you’ll get an official looking fax from them titled: FINAL NOTICE OF DOMAIN EXTENSION. (Ah, if only it was the final notice.) They tell you that yourdomain.us "has now become available for registration. Consequently the possibility of conflicting domain name registrations may occur." (My emphases,not theirs.)
With phrases scattered throughout like:
REGARDING: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY NOTIFICATION PROCESS and
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE UNITED STATES LEGAL CODE and
You are required to advice the notification processor of your intent to license this domain name…
it’s no wonder why it scares the bejeezuz out of many people.
This is not a business plan! This is a business scam!
There is no service being provided here. There’s no value-added item. This is just flood insurance for the north pole. If you do want to tie up other versions of your domain, worry about .org, .net and .biz long before you worry about .us. I mean, who uses .us?
In other words, if you receive a fax by the Domain Registry Support…Ignore it!
Thanks for the word of warning!
I just got off the phone with someone from Domain Registry Support and she was wanting my fax number, even though I don't have a fax number. So I asked her for her name and number, hung up the phone, and began searching for information on Domain Registry Support. That led me here and a few other sites which have exposed this scam and I just want to say thanks for alerting me!
I, too, just got off the phone with a woman wanting my fax number. When I asked why she told me there was a problem with my domain name. I asked what company she was with a she gave me this phone number 1-800-591-7398. It is a recoded message but you could leave a voice message if you want. It also refered me to http://www.domainregistrysupport.com which contains many word & links of little substance.
IGNORE THIS COMPANY!
I also just received such a phonecall from Domain Registry Support, although my domain has been registered for many years now with Network Solutions and is not a new registration. I refused to give my FAX number to him and he gave me his company name and the same 800 phone number mentioned by "Thankful 2".
I was happy to find this blog which confirmed my suspicion that it was a scam. Thank you.
MegaDittos…
Thanks for verifying my suspicions.
They didn't ask for my banking info yet, what they were asking for was already public information. My 'telemarketer' was ill informed and couldn't get off his script and was lacking in verbal skills, making this even more suspicious. Thanks again.
Thanks for confirming what I thought was a scam.
I do a website for my in-laws' business, and they just received one of these "notices" via fax. If it isn't illegal to send a solicitation for business on a fax, it should be, since the recipient has to pay for the paper and ink. But they did leave an 800 number, which means if somebody calls them, they have to pay for for the call. hmmmmmm
Just thought I'd post my 2 cents and add that I was just contacted by them asking to confirm my fax number. I told them to screw off.
Just got a call from these folks. Their company name didn't match anyone who's involved with my site. I asked them who they worked for and they said they worked for "All Domain Hosting Services." After a few more cagey replies from the representative, I kept asking to talk to a supervisor and how they got my information. Eventually she gave me a 1-800 Number. I kept pressing to speak with a supervisor. Eventually she said, "I don't have time for this." A Google search on the number brought me here. Nice going!
Just got off the phone myself from someone who told me they couldn't send anything through the mail as it would take too long to get to me and the information was much too important, my domain name was in jeopardy! Hah! This came also from a person that could barely speak the english language, and could not forward me to someone in charge, instead I would have to telephone myself, or I was in jeopardy (Or "jiparty" as it sounded) of losing my domain ("domian nim" as it sounded) and much more, made it sound like I could get sued if I didn't give them a fax number, which I don't have, and they WILL NOT email you… argghhh! Thanks for this page, and by all means, yes, ignore these people, it's kind of like the letters I get from the domain name registry of america, but that's another tale.
just had one call here too. Was very rude to her because I do not give any info to anyone on the phone so she gave me the famous phone number and I looked it up and found you. Thanks for the confirmation!
On 2005-11-03 I received the same telemarketing scam-spam call from these f-wads. Since my # is in the US govt do-not-call registry (donotcall.gov), I filed a complaint. I suggest you ALL do the same.
I got a call about this on Nov 4, 2005. looked up the phone number
800-591-7398, and found this page, confirming my belief it is totally bogus. thanks.
Same thing happened here for a domain I had registered over a year ago. Very strange conversation indeed with someone who hardly spoke English at all. Thanks for the info!
just got a call from these same jerks, thought it was a scam & didn't give them anything but googled and found this page. This is their 2nd call, didn't give them anything last time either, next time they call I will be prepared
Thanks to stryker777 for reminding me about the do-not-call list. I just filed my complaint.
I got a fax, googled the phone number, and ended up here (after reading a few other sites where the word scam showed up more than once) The fax throws a smelly heap of SCARY at you – kind of like a recent presidential campaign that i can remember.
dont give these people your phone number its a scam
I am a web designer by trade, and also have a domain hosting company. I got a call from these guys about ten minutes ago. "We are domain regisrty support and we need your fax number in order to send you very important information concerning your domain planetmadness.com."
Well, concidering I own domain registration and hosting company, you could imagine a red flag went up in my head (as well as some big fireworks, a large marching band, a group of drunkin fraternity guys chanting SCAM! SCAM! SCAM!) So I begin to ask the person on the other line, who was obviously from India, a few questions. (nothing against indians here. I happen to enjoy working with alot of you)
I asked him who he was affiliated with. He would continue to simply say 'we are the domain registry support'. I continually asked these question and even asked if he was part of ICANN. He didn't even know what ICANN was, and he finally said that he is simply with the announcement center, and that if I gave him my fax number he could send me this important "time-sensative" information concerning my domain. I finally told him that I told him that he could simply mail the informatin to the address listed in then domain whois info (which is where they are pulling this crap from) and he insisted that I give him a fax number, seeing as this was "time-sensative" information.
Well, I finally told the guy hat I didn't have one and that the only choice he had was to send it via mail. He said OK. At this point he then asks, "So what is your fax number and I will send it now."
Definetly a scam and definetly nothing to worry about. All of the information they have on you is public information that is pulled from any whois lookup on a domain name.
Personally I am looking forward to another encounter with these guys.
Chris
Same phone call today, same script, also a woman with an Indian accent. She actually tried pretty hard to convince me it wasn't the same old scam, after I expressed my doubts. Then she said that I needed this important fax because of "changes in the Internet." Anyway, just doing my part to drive the scam warnings up the google rankings…
Hey, posted my comment with that name, in the hopes that more spiders will pick this info up.
They just called me for a second time on my CELL phone from an international connect number! I knew it was a scam because of the phone number right away, but also because they share the same address as the phony letters that get sent out asking for you to renew before its too late – they are designed to look exactly like invoices from networksolutions, but recently they added in very tiny print (this is not an invoice) I cant imagine how many people accidentally fall for this, or how many billing departments, accidentally pay this crap. Now they are calling me on my unlisted cell phone number, that isnt even with any of my domains – bastards. Im going to report them to the FTC, the stat attorney general of NY where the mailing address is listed for fraudelent, and deceptive, and predatory business practices. Also the do not call registry, as well. I encourage all of you to do this, and shut these scammers down.
Their pattern today was the same – they want my fax number – my fax number on my domains goes to a blackhole, I argued with the guy, insisted he tell me who he was, how he got my unlisted cell phone number, asked for supervisors – he just kept yemmering it could only be sent by FAX in broken english – he had an Asian accent. Said domainregistrysupport.com was their domain – which I had already seen before – its a total scam. I asked him about ICANN, NetworkSolutions, ARIN, etc. he didnt know jack about them. I told him we had no business relation established and they he had no right to call me, or to try an infer that he had some power or information about something he was not a party to, I tried to keep him on an torture him as long as possible, but again it was on my cell, so I wanted to get off quickly. He could only sstick to his script but I asked him what his name was, if he was married, his blood type, his sexual orientation – it was pretty funny, he got pretty mad – i asked what time he usually ate dinner, and I asked if i could call him back at home later during that time to really expore this issue of the urgent message they must send to my FAX machine immediately. I asked him if I could FAX him my number to his FAX machine – that made him actually think for a minute, but then he just started getting beligerent, so I told him I was just testing him, and that I was his new boss, and that he had passed the test, and would immediately be promoted to head scam-artist, and that I was really impressed with his work, and how hard he tried to get the FAX number, he seemed surprised for a second, so I finally gave him my FAX number – Oh, did I mention that the FAX number I gave him was for the Federal Trade Commissions Fraud Enforcement FAX number: 202-326-3197
I encourage everyone to report these guys, and to torture them as much as possible, and to always give them that FAX number or the FAX number for your local State attorney general, or any governor, or other law enforcement agency. If we all do this enough, the law enforcers want even need us to complain, they will be sick and tired of it as well.
FIGHT THE SCAMMMERS!
They just called me too but I didn't give them a chance to say much before I hung up … wish I had read the posts here first, though, for I love the idea of giving them the fax number at a law-enforcement agency!
I was just contacted by them as well. I just reported them to the NYS Attorney General. Not only are they breaking do not call/telemarketing laws and flat out lying to make a sale they are practically claiming to be ICANN. By ommission thier website tries to claim that they are ICANN. What a bunch of jerks. Elliot Spitzer is going to hang them out to dry if I get my way.
Folks,
Please do not dissregaurd their notices and email but rather get in contact with your local attourney general's office. There are many laws which this scam breaks depending on where you are (including spam and unsolicted communication as well as racketeering). I have contacted my AG's office and I believe if enough people do the same action against such practices will occur.
Good Luck.
Thanks! A search for the number led me here- you rock!
I got a call today from this place and they kept insisting they weren't a scam. I asked them, are you with the registrar? Are you with ICANN? Both no, then I said "So what's the problem?" I got suspicious when I asked him if he was going to call me for every domain name I owned (a lot of them) and he said that they only knew of one. I never heard of this place before, but glad I found this place to let me know that my suspicions were confirmed. And I'm also on the no-call list. Apparently he thought he could get away with it by saying it's not a "sales" call. Never tried calling their 1-800 number, afraid it might be one of those reverse callback numbers where it charges you.
Add me to the list, same drill… Soem guy called and wanted my fax number and I don't have one. Stressed about some "upcoming changes on the Internet" that would effect my domain. Eventually wanted me to call 800-591-7398.
Same-o here. Just reported to both the do not call registrys (national and state). Suggest we all do and possibly something will come of it.
Just got a call from John at Domain Registry Support today about the renewal of petsandbags.com. Don't understand why, since I have never heard of this domain name before in my life. Told me to call 1-800-591-7398…yeah, right! Instead I just filed a complaint with donotcall.gov — I suggest everyone else does the same.
I'm currently posted overseas. I just got off the phone with my parents who told me I was supposed to call this 1-800 number regarding my domain. Instead of this number, I called my own domain registration & hosting company to see if they actually left me a message only to find out they don't even have a toll-free number. I immediately googled the number and found this page with the word "scam" showing up. Thanks to you all for the "save."
a scam is when you pay for something and don't get the service. that's not the case here. drs is a registrar and can legally secure domain names. if you don't want what they are offering that's fine, but don't smear the company's name. idiots.
an addition to the above comment:
none of you would be so smart if someone took another extension of your domain name and tried to sell it to you for a million dollars or directed it toward a porn site. ever heard of cybersquatting? happens to businesses everyday. so don't be so quick to judge, if nobody sold anything, nobody would know anything was available.
I got the call today (2/17/2006)from a man who identified himself as Damian Reed (with a heavy Indian accent) with domainregistrysupport.com. He said they were having technical problems are that he was updating my contact information manually by phone and he wanted my fax number. The caller id said "unknown caller" and since I get too many junk faxes now I asked for his toll free number which he said was 800-591-7398. I wouldn't release any information stating that I would prefer check out the website and that I would call him back. He then said I wouldn't be able to reach him because he's in a "call out" center and I would be coming into an "incoming center". I also asked him that since he already had my physical mailing address (from whois.com) why not just mail the flipping thing to me? He said it was "time sensistive" and that it had to do with changes to domain names, etc,. Well, of course the web site http://www.domainregistrysupport.com wasn't working and I got an automated phone at the number he gave me. I then called NetworkSolutions and changed all my domain names to private registrations so I don't have to waste my time with these idiots any more.
How ironic is it that the pro-DRS post is the most illiterate as well! Get a grip on grammar Mark! While your at it, get an education and perhaps you wouldn’t need to hustle (let’s call it what it is!) to earn your living.
I received their call and did not give them any information. I was interested to see what they would fax so I gave them a fax number at work. Now that I have actual documentation from them I plan on reporting them because I am on the National No-Call list and this is a solitiation to use their services (I would recommend that you do it to if your number that they called is on the list). I also plan on finding who else I can report them to as well. Maybe the Attorney General for my state. I did call the 800 number and got a live person. I asked for their website and was directed to the none functioning http://www.domainregistrysupport.com site. What a bunch of jerks.
Thanks for making this page available!
Pretty much the same story here: strong Indian accent, your domain is in jeopardy….
Two changes:
The fax (yeah, I gave them the number) now says "URGENT NOTICE" rather than "FINAL NOTICE" and while on the phone the scammer clearly mentioned mydomain.com being in danger, the fax listed mydomain.us.
The scam is still going on–I just got off the phone, woman with Indian accent, same MO… I refused to give her any info. As soon I got off the phone I googled 800-591-7398, and found this site. Thanks!
Same here. They called me at work, wanting to confirm information for my domain. It was a female with an obvious indian accent and was from Domain Registry Support. It had the usual telemarketing delay from answer to a person coming on the line. I hung up, figuring it had to be a scam.
yup – this came as a HUGE surprise to me since i work at one of the largest domain registrars around and we have in-house support – so i stomped over to support with this indian guy on hold on my cell from (he also gave the number 1 800 591 7398 – and the name "joseph nelson")- and my company's support verified that this call was pure nonsense. I gave him the office fax # here and I am personally going to record their fax number and see what the heck they are planning to fax me! After that i will see what i can dig up on them.. and if nothing else, send them a hundred or so pages of graphics.
Thanks for the warning. My spouse took a call today and an Indian/Pakastanian sounding request to call DRS at 1-800-591-7398 to verify my personal address. Googled it instead of calling it and found the scoop about the scam here. Won't waste anymore time other than to say thanks again!
Just got a phone call from one of my customers, I googled the phone number, ended up here.
I read a few lines and immediately told my customer to simply shred the fax.
Thanks for the warning.
Whoa! I just got off the phone with the guy… "m'am could you please just help me…" making it sound as if all would end if I didn't give over the fax #… he was stressing that the owner needed to receive the info. within 24 hours, promised no blitzes via the fax etc. I hung up the first time and he actually called back! We ended up having a yelling match on the phone, but I never gave the fax inf… then I googled it like the rest of you, I feel better now… thanks!
Just got the same call from Domain Registry Support. I asked them if they worked for my registrar. He said, "No, we are Domain Registry Support. We provide alerting support." The gentlemen (with an Indian accent as well) wanted my fax number. I asked him to email me at the email listed on my whois record. He told me that their email server was going through some anti-virus updates and he could not email me. I told him that I didn't have a fax number to share. So he gave me this number: 800-591-7398.
I got the call from Domain Registry Support yesterday. I couldn't believe that the telemarketers can even get through the script, it's so absurd. I told her that I have no relationship with her company and that my domain has nothing to do with them. She tried to imply that they had been contracted by network solutions.
Email spam sucks and all, but phone phishing is a strange development. Hard to imagine that it's cost effective. But I guess it must be if it's going on for this long.
I received the same call via voice. Like you all I thought it was possibly a scam and the voice on the other end was yes, Indian(not injun') or Pak. Before I am posting here I went to the Do Not Call site and put in a complaint but don't know how far they will get because the 800 number may not really give them any real info and the whole apparatus may be from out of country. My caller ID showed "unknown caller" but I gave the Do Not Call site the 800 # anyway.
Thanks for the site for us to check on this foolishness.
I received the same call via voice. Like you all I thought it was possibly a scam and the voice on the other end was yes, Indian(not injun') or Pak. Before I am posting here I went to the Do Not Call site and put in a complaint but don't know how far they will get because the 800 number may not really give them any real info and the whole apparatus may be from out of country. My caller ID showed "unknown caller" but I gave the Do Not Call site the 800 # anyway.
Thanks for the site for us to check on this foolishness.
These guys suck… i also googled the number and found this… AWESOME. My guys name was Sam Regency… and gave the same number of 800-591-7398. I am also on the donotcall.gov and will file a complaint as well…
Anyone have the fax number that they are sending from?? Please post it.
Here is the information on who owns Domain Registry Support.com.
Lets all send some spam their way!
I just might setup a rule in my inbox to forward my junkmail to them. hahaha…
Domain Name: DOMAINREGISTRYSUPPORT.COM
Reseller…………..: PlanetDomain
Created on…………: 30 Jul 2004 16:24:47 EST
Expires on…………: 30 Jul 2008 16:24:47 EST
Record last updated on: 2 Mar 2006 18:01:31 EST
Status…………….: ON LOCK
Owner, Administrative Contact, Technical Contact, Billing Contact:
M. Sussman (ID00234412)
Suite 11521
APDO 0832-1236
World Trade Centre, Panama Centro 0832
Panama
Phone: +48.223896930
Email: collectcallsecret@maktoob.com
I was also called by Domain Registry Support. I immediately thought what a stupid name for a company. I said sure, fax me the information. The document looks official, but one look at the domain name and I wanted to laugh. No U.S. site used the extension .us
Thanks. Just got the exact same call described. I'm evil because after I had her give me the phone number and website I made her wait on the line while I looked it up. First I did the website and I said, "Your website is inaccessible." She said, "That's because our servers are down and like I told you that's why we have to call for updates." I asked why she didn't just wait until the servers were back up and send out email requests. She repeated some script. I then looked up the phone number and told her I got scam alerts all over the net with that number so she finally hung up. LOL
If they're on to 202-326-3197 offer them 202-456-2461 instead.
Unbelievable gumption! Same script, same story… I received three phone calls from these people. The last one would not go away; I finally had to hang-up on him. I never thought about giving a false fax number, that’s what I will do next time. I am expecting another phone call from them any day now
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