They will provide you with a new bank account number and ask that all future payments are processed accordingly. They may tell you they have recently changed banks, and may use stolen letterhead and branding to convince you they are legitimate. Using information they have obtained by hacking your computer systems, a scammer posing as one of your regular suppliers will tell you that their banking details have changed. You will be told your chance to use the domain name will end if you do not pay immediately. The sender may claim that another company is seeking to register the same domain name, but they are giving you the brief opportunity to secure the name first. It may even be for a domain name in another country, such as ‘.cn’ for a China web address.Īlternatively you could be sent a letter that looks like a renewal notice for your actual domain name, but it is from a different company to the one you have previously used to register your domain name. For example, it may end in ‘.net.au’ instead of ‘.com.au’ or the ‘.au’ at the end may be missing. You may be sent an invoice requesting payment for a domain name that is very similar to your current domain name – the scammer hopes that you don’t notice the difference and just pay the invoice. au Domain Administrator ( auDA).ĭomain name renewal scams can work in different ways. au domains in Australia are accredited through the industry self-regulatory body. Domain name renewal scamsĪustralian website domain names are registered with accredited domain name registrars and resellers, and must be renewed every couple of years. If you refuse to pay, the scammers might try to intimidate you by threatening legal action. The scammer might quote a genuine entry or advertisement your business has had in a different publication or directory to convince you that you really did use the scammer’s product. These are often presented to look like renewals for genuine directory publishers.Īnother common method is for the scammer to phone a business asking to confirm details of an advertisement they claim has already been booked.
You might be led to believe that you are responding to an offer for a free entry, but the form you are asked to complete is a disguised invoice or contract with the amount owed hidden in tiny print.Īlternatively, the scam might appear as a proposal for a subscription to a magazine or journal. Fake directories and advertisingįake directory invitations will often include a form to be filled out and ask for your business contact details with an approval signature. If you receive an unexpected bill from a utility provider, do not open the attachment. Many email-based ransomware scams use fake bills as attachments to infect your computer. These scams take advantage of the fact the person handling the administrative duties for the business may not know whether any advertising or promotional activities have actually been requested. Or the scammer might phone you out of the blue to confirm details of an advertisement booking or insist you've ordered certain goods or services. Your business might be sent an invoice, letter or invitation to be listed in a bogus trade directory or to renew your website domain name. About Scamwatch Expand submenu for "About Scamwatch".News & alerts Expand submenu for "News & alerts".Scam statistics Expand submenu for "Scam statistics".Attempts to gain your personal information.Types of scams Expand submenu for "Types of scams".