Beware- Owners Of UK Domain Names

A new scam has emerged directed at owners of domain names in the UK. Previously, individuals posing as domain name registrars in Asia have tried to deceive the owners of trade marks and of domain names into buying a series of domain names with suffixes such as .com.cn and .asia. The bogus registrar purports to have had instructions to register the victim's name.

In a new departure, the initial approach is made by telephone rather than by email. This is of concern since a victim has time to read and absorb the information being given in an e-mail, and can readily forward the email to IP advisors if concerned. When taking a phone call, there is less time to establish that the call is fraudulent. Contacted by phone, domain name owners may be more likely to believe that they are under threat and to agree to purchase a similar domain name registration in these circumstances.