Resolving slamming attempts

This guide explains what to consider doing if you have received a letter, by email, mail, or fax, from an unknown company or impersonating Infomaniak (or a competitor) and mentioning the domain names you own, and asking you to pay fees related to these products.

Introduction

• Several organizations are known for "forcing" a domain name (slamming), with the aim of appropriating it or simply making money at your expense.
  • Among them: Brandon Gray Internet Services, NameJuice.com or Global Netsource. Furthermore, Asian companies are listed here.
  • The company called Domain Registrar of America (DROA) also aims to defraud domain name holders by sending a fax or email to renew one or more domain names 2 to 3 months before their expiration date. This offer seems official and professional and offers quite competitive prices.
• The catch: by signing with these unscrupulous companies, you authorize the transfer of your domain names to these “registrars,” with all the risks of deactivating your websites and email services. Of course, you are encouraged to pay by credit card! Some of these companies have been the subject of legal proceedings in the USA, Great Britain, and Canada but remain very active in Europe.

Some recommendations

To avoid being scammed:

1. Determine who sent you such a message... Is it a company you know, writing to you from Switzerland or France, in French, etc. or, on the contrary, a letter coming from abroad (USA, United Kingdom, Jamaica, Asia, etc.), in English, etc.?
2. Determine the status of your domain name and where it is currently located; to do this, start by performing a WHOIS lookup on infomaniak.com/whois for example.
3. Do not respond to these letters... Destroy them or you will end up paying astronomical amounts for no reason.
4. Consult the AFNIC Guide on slamming and other fraudulent practices.
5. Activate Domain Privacy for more peace of mind.
6. Report these messages.