How to Tell a Real Domain Renewal Notice From a Scam

If you own a website, sooner or later a letter or email shows up warning that your domain is about to expire and you need to pay right now. A lot of these are not from your real provider. They are a long-running scam designed to look official, get you to pay too much, or quietly move your domain to a company you have never heard of. Here is how to tell the real ones from the fakes, in plain terms.

What the scam looks like

These show up as official-looking emails or even paper invoices. Common signs:

• A company name you do not recognize, often with "domain," "registry," or "listing" in it.
• Urgent wording, like "final notice" or "your website will go offline."
• A price that is much higher than what you normally pay.
• It is really selling something else, like "search engine submission" or an "SEO listing," dressed up as a renewal.
• It looks like a bill, not a friendly reminder from a service you already use.

How to tell real from fake

1. Know who you actually buy from. Your domain lives with one company, usually wherever you set up your site or bought the name. Common ones are GoDaddy, Namecheap, Bluehost, Squarespace, Wix, and Google. Real renewal notices come from that company, and nobody else.
2. Check the sender, not just the logo. Look at the actual email address it came from. Scammers copy logos easily, but the address usually gives them away.
3. Go straight to the source. Do not click the link in the message. Type your provider's website in yourself, or use a bookmark, and log in. Your real renewal date and price are in your account.
4. Compare the price. A normal domain renewal is usually somewhere around ten to twenty dollars a year. If a notice wants a lot more, treat it as a scam until proven otherwise.
5. Watch for transfer tricks. Some notices are actually trying to move your domain to them. If anything mentions transferring or switching providers, stop and check with your real provider first.

What to do

• Log in to your real provider and turn on auto-renew so your domain cannot lapse by accident.
• Make sure the email and card on file are current, so genuine reminders reach you.
• Throw away or report the scam notice. You do not owe them anything.
• Keep your provider login safe, with a strong password and two-step login if it is offered.

Not sure if a notice is real?

Forward it to me and I will tell you straight whether it is genuine or a scam, and help you set things up so your domain renews on its own and stays in your name. No charge for a quick look.