I got a letter or email saying my domain is expiring — is it a scam?
The short answer
It might be. Some companies send official-looking renewal notices that are really an offer to transfer your domain to them at a higher price, and some emails are phishing that steals your login. Don’t pay from the message or click its links. Sign in to your registrar directly and check the expiry date there.
Regulators in the US and Australia warn about letters and invoices that look like a bill from your registrar. They often sell you a different but similar domain, such as .com when you own .com.au, or services you never ordered. ICANN never sends renewal notices or asks domain owners for payment.
- Check who sent it. Is it the registrar that actually holds your domain? See how to find your registrar.
- Go to your registrar’s website yourself, not through the link, and check the real expiry date.
- Ignore offers for “search engine registration” or similar services sent alongside “renewal” notices.
- If you clicked a link and entered a password, change it at once and turn on two-factor authentication.
Words used here
- Domain registrar
- The company you buy (rent) your website name from — e.g. Namecheap, Cloudflare, Porkbun or GoDaddy.
- Domain expiry
- The day a domain registration ends. After a short grace period, anyone can register the name — including your competitors.
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