One of the CURRENT SCAMS facing dental practices is a letter regarding the SOLICITATION TO RENEW YOUR DOMAIN NAME from an unauthorized source, which may appear to be a legitimate renewal notice.
There are 2 types of notices we regularly see come in the mail or e-mail:
#1: You receive a notice to renew your domain and the notice has a domain name that isn’t your actual domain name. It is very close to your name but not your domain name.
These notices are intended to get you to think that your domain name is up for renewal and they are hoping that you won’t notice the slight difference in the domain name. They are hoping you will go ahead and pay for the renewal at an inflated price.
#2: You receive a notice with your EXACT domain name, but it’s not from the company that manages the domain or a company that is authorized to renew your domain.
This letter tries to get you to think that they are the company you used and/or they are authorized to renew your domain. They will use your EXACT domain name in the e-mail (or letter).
CAUTION: If you are not sure who your domain name is officially registered with, you should contact your website provider BEFORE you pay for the renewal.
In most cases, your website provider takes care of the renewal for you and bills you for that service with your monthly hosting and maintenance fees.
TIP: Research the information before acting. Don’t pay any invoice for domain renewals if you are not 100% certain of their validity. If you receive a domain name renewal notice and are not sure if it’s real, feel free to scan and e-mail a copy of the notice to us, so we can let you know if it’s legitimate.
We hope you find this information helpful.
Your friends at Dentalfone!