It can be exciting to get an offer on your domain name or have somebody show interest in your domain name. If you are contacted, the next thing to find out is if the contact is Real or Fake.
A very well known FAKE is if you are contacted via Email and you see lines in the email that are like this:
"This is not our main business but we make money on buying/selling domains."
"Your domain name has been found online."
If you reply, the second email will contain lines like the following:
"Have you had your domain names evaluated in the past? I mean domain appraisals."
"Domain without content is ok with me. Web site is not necessary"
Many times you will get an email that is asking for a price on your domain. You can reply back with What Ever Price you want and they will reply back but they want to "Evaluate the domain" to make sure they are getting a fair price.
This is where the scam part comes in… to get an appraisal for your domain name and request the appraisal be done either through a company they suggest or put a company name down with a link. I have seen it several times that they refer to a Blog post that is on a site called domainblog.007sites.com
The scam is, they OWN the appraisal company and are NOT interested in your domain name. They simply want to make money off the domain name appraisal and never held interest in your domain name. Once you get an appraisal, you will be out your money and they will no longer hold interest in that domain name!
I have mainly seen these type of emails go to New Registrations. They simply get a list of domain names that were newly registered and target these people. I have also seen this scam be sent to people who newly list domain names on Sedo.
The Signature on the email is also a give away and would look similar to something like this:
George Sterling
President
PHR LLC
Or
Regards,
Michael E Myers
Vice President
OB Securities LLC
The latest one to be going around is from TheOnlineBrokerage.com . Some other domains used are: EasyNameSale.com, EliteInvestment.net , ToughGuy.net , phreaker.net .
Some actual emails from these appraisal scams look like this:
New One as of 1-8-2009
‘Hello,
My name is Tom Myers and I’m interested in the domain mentioned in the
subject line. I’m a cybersquatter but never use domains in bad faith etc.
Working according the law is my policy.
Some of my clients are interested in your domain. Please let me know your
price. If you have other good names just send me the list with prices.
Looking forward to do business with you.
Regards,
Tom Myers
Independent Cybersquatter"
Holiday one,
"Hello,
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Your domain name has been found online.
We are very interested in it. Please let us know your price.
This is not our main business but we make money on buying/seling domains.
This is a profitable business.
Looking forward to do business with you.
Regards,
Michael E Myers
Vice President
OB Securities LLC"
OR
"Hello,
Please email a price you can accept for your domain name.
Our company develops software for multiple video systems. Domain names is not our business but a new way to earn on reselling. We are going to buy domains to resell them at higher prices. Our company has a large database of clients interested in good domains.
If you offer more domains for sale with good reselling potential please email us your list.
Looking forward to do business with you.
Regards,
Jacob Cohen, Ph. D.
CEO
TGN Technologies"
If you happen to get an email like this, simply DELETE it. If you are unsure if it’s a Real Person interested in your domain name, just be sure not to PAY for anything like an appraisal or do not visit a Link if they provide one in an email. If a buyer is interested in your domain name, THEY should be the one ordering an appraisal if they want one. Not You!
Joe
Nice and very useful post. I received an exact email that you quoted from one of the scammers you listed above. It looks suspicious to me in his first communication, I responded anyway just curious to see what his next move to be. It looks even more suspicious in his response to my email. Hope no one falls into this kind of scam.
**Jamie Says**
Hi Joe,
I’m glad it was some help to you and I hope others as well. Sadly, many people fall for it and pay the price (normally around $60) mainly because they think a high $$ sale is on the other side.
Jake
Damned scammers are using my first name now….. Lol
But in all seriousness, this is a valid concern for all domain owners. You need to be aware of the threats, but you also need to be aware that every email you get might not be a scam. Many domainers automatically assume that everyone is trying to scan them. On TeenDomainer.com I recently made a post in regards to this.
I think many of us pass up potentially great opportunities because we are afraid of being scammed.
-jake
**Jamie Says**
Hi Jake,
Yes it can be very hard to pick the good from the bad. You can always request a phone conversation, an email from an actual domain etc but always keep in mind that there is no reason for a Domain Seller to have to pay for an appraisal for the buyer.
Daniel Sanchez
I love messing with these guys, especially when you can tell them the exact neighborhood they are sending these messages from by tracking their IP. I get roughly 5 or 6 of these a day, I’m surprised they haven’t changed the layout of their ridiculous requests.
RegFeeNames.com
Lets let everyone know of all the domain scams out there!
I nearly fell for a domain appraisal scam when I started out but I luckily did a google search on the email address of the sender.
I always do this search on google for the email address / name of email senders to ensure they arent fraudster and do a bit of homework on the person if they are a true real person and always use DT to check the domain from the email unless its been sent from yahoo.com etc.
Thanks for this information Jamie!
Happy Holidays!
Regards,
Robbie
soroosch
i read this after i received the scam email……always research who wants to buy your name!!!
Confidential
WOW! I am SOOOO happy I googled “OB Securities LLC” earlier this evening and came across your post. I just emailed the guy back – thanks but not thanks. It’s amazing how many scams are out there…and such a shame. Good for you for posting this. Now, let’s just hope that other people are smart and somehow stumble upon your post!
Ronald Corbin
I received an email yesterday in initiating a negotiation about my domain athomestiumlus.com.
Then they offered me $5,000, but wait! I have to get it appraised, and adjust my offer from there. HA!
I found this article and noticed a line in my email that was VERBATIM to the line evaluated or appraised. Comical at the least.
For me, I dont mind to get these emails. I have been doing internet marketing for years, and have seen SO many scams. I think it is unfortunate that they prey on innocent people. Most of whom are trying to make an innocent dollar or two online.
Below I listed the email address in which I got the offer from, and their FREE HOSTED forum that tells you ALL about “evaluation”.
campanella@eliteinvestment.net (AVOID EMAILS FROM THIS PERSON!)
Here is their “Highly professional” free hosted forum, HA! What a sham!
http://namepros.007sites.com/587419.htm
This was the first article in google that popped up. And am kind of proud of myself for smelling a scam before even reading it. However, it was verified via this article, thus saving me time and effort.
Thanks a million!
Jamie Zoch
I’m glad you found my article Ronald and it saved you some time and hopefully some $$ as well.
Ronald Corbin
Yes I really saved me money, but me being tight on $$$ as it is I would have demanded they pay for it if they had $5000 they have an extra $30 lol. These scammers are getting more and more crafty every year. However, marketers are becoming more wise too. Its a shame the attorney general cant prosecute those in the STATES for FRAUD!
None the less, I am going to post your article on my blog for others to refer too, so my customers can avoid this pitfall as well.
Best wishes
Cenk
Hi,
I received same type of email and because I had no time to check its reality, I paid the money for appraisal and of course got nothing.
So is there any way to punish that people by laws? Any legal way to fight with them? I don’t care about the money but I want them to be punished anyway. They take payment by credit card. So there has to be a way to reach that people.
Oscar
Hi
I have another one to add to the list. Dumn it! I was so excited about the offer.
Hello,
We saw this domain name listed for sale on the web.
Please email us your desired price in USD or euros for the domain name in the subject line.
If you have other names for sale please email us yiur full list with prices for consideration.
Looking forward to doing business with you.
Regards,
Michael Stockman
CEO
Brand Name Web Hosting & Domains
ceo@brandnameservice.com
This is the one!!
http://www.researchappraisals.com/