How to Protect Your Domain Name

Domain Renewal Scams:

Recently, one of our customers received an official-looking letter warning them that their domain name was about to expire. The letter urged them to act quickly to "retain exclusive rights" to the domain name and noted that failing to renew by the expiration date "may result in a loss of [their] online identity."

The letter also mentioned taking advantage of their "best savings" even though their prices are far above what typical registrars offer and are over 300% more than what it would cost to renew your domain with Reclaim Hosting.

Unfortunately, these kinds of domain renewal scams are common. Scammers find your business address on your website and send notices that look like invoices or urgent renewal reminders, hoping business owners will panic and pay. Paying these companies does nothing to secure your domain, and instead, will likely cost you far more money and result in your domain to be transferred to a new registrar that you didn't want to use in the first place.

So what should you do if you get one of these letters or emails? Ignore it!

Always log into your Reclaim Hosting account - or your domain registrar’s website if you don't have your domain registered through us - to directly to verify renewal dates and account information. Never trust third-party notices unless it's a from service you have registered with and that you know for sure is legitimate.

Red Flags in Domain Renewal Scams

Here are some common signs that a renewal notice is actually a scam:

• The message comes from a company that isn’t your registrar.
• The letter or email is designed to look urgent and includes things like “Final Notice” or “Your domain will expire immediately.”
• The payment instructions don’t match your registrar’s usual process.
• The letter mentions transferring your domain.
• The letter says "This is not a bill."

If any of these red flags show up, it’s best to ignore the notice, delete it, and log into your account to check and see if your domain needs to be renewed.

How to Keep Your Domain Name Secure

Beyond watching out for scams, there are some smart steps you can take to protect your domain:

1. Enable Privacy (ID) Protection: This keeps your personal or business contact information out of the public WHOIS database, making it harder for scammers to target you.
2. Lock Your Domain: Most registrars allow you to lock your domain so it can’t be transferred without your explicit approval.
3. Keep Contact Info Updated: If your registrar can’t reach you, you might miss legitimate renewal reminders.

Reclaim Hosting customers can check the ID Protection, Registrar Lock settings, and Contact Information for their domains in their Client Area.

Once logged in there go to Domains > My Domains and select the domain you want to check.

Once on the page for that domain, you click the Addons link in the sidebar menu and it will display your current ID Protection status:

Choosing the Registrar Lock item will display your current lock settings:

And, clicking on the Contact Information item will allow you to view and update your domain's contacts:

Stay Vigilant

Scam domain renewal notices are designed to look scary and official, but with some attention to detail they’re easy to spot. Always log in and check renewal details directly with your registrar. Never use a link in an email and never send money to an unknown company. Your domain is the foundation of your online presence; protect it like the valuable asset it is.

If you receive any emails about renewing your domain name or your hosting plan and have questions about their legitimacy, feel free to send them to our support team and we'll be happy to help verify your renewal dates and other account details.