| Clients and friends frequently approach me with | | | | on your domain records. |
| questions about emails regarding their domain names | | | | If your email address changes, update your domain |
| that just don't "feel" legitimate, and for good reason! | | | | registrar so your renewal notices and other important |
| Domain name scams are becoming more and more | | | | communications from them can reach you. Your |
| common. These scam attempts are also becoming | | | | mailing address also needs to be kept up to date. |
| more sophisticated, less obvious and using unethical | | | | 4) Lock your domain name at your registrar. |
| techniques that cause the domain owner to worry | | | | Domain registrars offer a feature called "domain |
| that they may lose their domain or another company | | | | locking" that can help your domain stay safe. It's |
| may be trying to steal it. Depending on the scam, | | | | usually free and will prevent someone from |
| they may be after your domain name, your money in | | | | transferring your domain to another registrar without |
| transfer fees, or your credit card details for fraud | | | | your permission. It's simple to unlock later if you |
| and identity theft. | | | | decide you'd like to transfer your domain. |
| Fortunately, there are seven easy things you can do | | | | 5) Consider using domain privacy protection. |
| to keep your domain name and related information | | | | Most domain related scams learn your contact |
| safe, and they only take a few minutes each. | | | | information by doing a whois search for the publicly |
| 1) Know who your domain name registrar is. | | | | available domains records. Search for your domain at |
| When you purchase your domain name be sure to | | | | to see what information comes back about your |
| print out your receipt and keep it somewhere safe. | | | | domain. If your personal name, address, and other |
| The original registrar is the only company who should | | | | information is available, contact your domain name |
| contact you about your domain renewal, and their | | | | registrar and ask them about privacy protection. |
| website is where you will go to renew your domain | | | | 6) Renew your domain name early and for as many |
| name. One common scam involves a company | | | | years as you feel is reasonable considering the |
| sending out official looking renewal notices through | | | | purpose of the domain. |
| the mail. If you send in the renewal notice with your | | | | If your domain is your business name and you know |
| payment they'll transfer your domain to their | | | | you'll want to keep it for a long time, go ahead and |
| company where you'll be stuck paying higher fees or | | | | renew it for 5 or 10 years. If it's a temporary domain |
| dealing with other problems. | | | | that you may not keep, register for a year but |
| 2) Use a secure password as your domain registrar | | | | renew early each year you decide to keep it. Never |
| (not something like your name or a password you | | | | wait until the last minute to renew a domain. |
| use for other things). | | | | 7) Never click the links in an email about your domain, |
| We all know passwords should be secure. Is yours? | | | | always go directly to the website of your registrar. |
| If not, go to random.org and generate a secure | | | | Many phishing emails work by sending out an "official" |
| string including both letters and numbers and update | | | | looking email that links to a website that looks almost |
| the password you use to access your domain | | | | like the real one, but it's a fake site setup to gather |
| records at your registrar. Make an note for yourself | | | | login details and credit card information. You can |
| so you don't forget your password. It's important to | | | | protect yourself by never using links in email to |
| use a different password for different sites. | | | | access websites. Instead, go to your browser and |
| Otherwise, if someone hacks your email account | | | | type the real address directly into your browser bar |
| password they may suddenly have access to your | | | | to get to the website. |
| domain name account, your PayPal or banking | | | | Taking these seven precautionary steps can help |
| accounts! Don't allow that opportunity. | | | | ensure that your domain name stays protected. |
| 3) Keep your personal contact information up to date | | | | |