DROA first started sending out fake domain renewal letters to domain holders, using information harvested from various WHOIS databases (mainly the Tucows OpenSRS database) in 2002. But in fact they were transfer approval forms.

These letters were worded in a way which tricked domain owners into thinking that they were the registrar of the domain and included various phrases and logos that reinforced this. In addition, highly inflated prices were charged to those who did transfer their domain and those that realised what was going on also got charged for the privilege.

Some of our customers were caught in this scam and faced months, even years, of problems to recover their names.

In more recent years both American and British legal authorities have attempted to force this company to stop sending out the notifications and yet they still come. Amongst other names they have used included: “Domain Registry Services”, “Registration Services Incorporated” and “Domain Registry of Europe” and “Domain Registry of America”, “Yellowbusiness.ca”, “Internet Registry of Canada”, “Domain Registry of Canada”, “Domain Registry of Australia”.

DON’T GET CAUGHT OUT!

Always check with your existing domain hosts if you receive anything like this – 99 times out of 100 it will be legit but if you are the 1% you will wish you asked first.