E-mail telling me my domain name "is being let go"

• 

  niftylaurenk · Member · Mar 27, 2013 at 6:08 pm

  • Copy link
  • Add topic to favorites

  Hi,

  I received an e-mail this morning claiming to be from Domains by Proxy (I understand what this company is but to the best of my knowledge have never used it). The e-mail says my domain name (which I registered through WordPress.com and is not due to expire until the fall) is being let go and they are offering to sell me my domain name for a four-figure sum.

  I am 99% sure this is a scam but I just wanted to make sure WordPress does not use Domains by Proxy for providing their domain registration or privacy services and that I can trash this e-mail without worrying my domain name will disappear.

  Thank you!

  The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)

• 

  auxclass · Member · Mar 27, 2013 at 6:26 pm

  • Copy link

  Your name looks good into the fall – but the privacy feature you have also purchased is through Domains By Proxy (the service WordPress.COM uses) – but yes it smells and I don’t understand all the stuff with private registration – so I have flagged this for the staff to look into things

  Selling you your own domain name that they are holding on your behalf does not sound honest to me

• 

  helper-heroponriki · Member · Mar 27, 2013 at 6:29 pm

  • Copy link

  Hi there!

  Domains By Proxy is the company that handles the private registration of your domain name. However, your domain is not being let go. I can confirm your domain is in good standing and won’t expire until December 2013.

  You can delete and ignore this email as it sounds like a scam/phishing scheme.

  For future reference, you would only be contacted by WordPress.com regarding your domain registration, expiration, or cancellation.

  I hope that helps!

• 

  auxclass · Member · Mar 27, 2013 at 6:36 pm

  • Copy link

  Thanks helper-heroponriki for the quick help of the OP & the person from Germany earlier

  PS – on the phishing scam stuff my email program has two windows and if I mouse over the link in the email my email will show what the actual link is – not the text version – most of the time that will indicate real obvious when things are a scam when you look at the real address

• 

  helper-heroponriki · Member · Mar 27, 2013 at 6:48 pm

  • Copy link

  Great tip, @auxclass – I use that trick often.

• 

  niftylaurenk · Member · Mar 27, 2013 at 8:09 pm

  • Copy link

  Thanks everyone–investigating a little further it did seem obvious I was NOT being e-mailed by Domains by Proxy, but since I am a bit of a tech Luddite I thought I’d ask the experts.

  Will delete and ignore.

• 

  helper-heroponriki · Member · Mar 27, 2013 at 8:17 pm

  • Copy link

  You’re welcome! Feel free to ask us questions anytime – we’re here to help. :)