Translate

SCAMwatch email alert: Think carefully about unsolicited offers to register domain names overseas [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

Think carefully about unsolicited offers to register domain names overseas

View radar online

Added: February 2013

SCAMwatch is warning businesses to treat with caution unsolicited invitations to register or renew internet domain names in China and other countries.

Australian businesses have been contacted with offers to register their names in China as '.cn' web addresses for an exorbitant fee. They are often told their chance to use their name will end if they do not secure or renew the address immediately.

SCAMwatch advises businesses to be on guard and make common sense decisions about the credibility, costs, benefits and risks involved in any offer to secure an internet address or URL.

How these scams work

  • You receive an unsolicited email from someone claiming that your business name is available as a website address in China or another country and that, for a fee, they will secure and register the name on your behalf. The sender claims that another company is seeking to register the domain name, however as the name is a better match for your business, the sender is giving you the opportunity to secure the name first.
  • Another type of domain name scam involves the sender claiming that you have a current domain registration overseas that is about to expire and that, for a fee, they can act on your behalf to secure the name again. The sender creates a sense of urgency by pretending that if you don't act fast to secure the domain name before the 'expiry' or 'renewal' date, you will lose the right to use it.
  • Whether it's to renew or secure a new domain name, the amount that the sender is seeking for this 'service' is much more than the basic fee to register.

Protect yourself

  • If you are interested in securing a domain name in another country, do your homework first and find out how domain names are renewed in that region. Some countries have an authority that oversees domain name registration (see 'more information' below). If you are considering an offer by another business to register the name for you, check if they are listed as an accredited 'registrar' with the authority and search online to find out what others have said about their service first.
  • Be cautious of requests to provide material to prove you would be the rightful user of a domain name – a scammer could steal this and put it to fraudulent use.
  • If you are concerned that someone else is using a domain name you would like in another country, you might wish to get legal advice on what action to take.
  • Overall, businesses should carefully consider whether any unsolicited offers are credible and represent value for money versus the risk of possibly losing the opportunity of securing a particular domain name.

Report

See SCAMwatch's domain name renewal scams section for information on other forms of domain name scams.

You can report scams to the ACCC via the report a scam page on SCAMwatch or by calling 1300 795 995.

More information

If you want to secure a Chinese domain name, visit the China Internet Network Information Centre, the official Chinese domain name authority, to get information on how to register a Chinese domain name. The website also has a list of 'Registrars' across the globe that are accredited to lodge registrations. For other countries, a good starting point for information is ICANN, the international Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.

Stay one step ahead of scammers, follow @SCAMwatch_gov on Twitter or visit http://twitter.com/SCAMwatch_gov

You have received this email because you have subscribed to receive SCAMwatch radar alerts on scams targeting Australians. These alerts are issued by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and can be viewed on its SCAMwatch website www.scamwatch.gov.au.

If you have any doubts about an email's source, verify the sender by independent means - use their official contact details to check the email is legitimate before clicking on links or opening attachments.

If you no longer want to receive SCAMwatch email alerts, please unsubscribe on the SCAMwatch website.

QLD Severe Weather Warning: Heavy Rain


QLD Severe Weather Warning: Heavy Rain
Source: Bureau of Meteorology

For people in parts of the
Central Coast and Whitsundays,
Capricornia,
Wide Bay and Burnett and
Southeast Coast Forecast Districts.

Issued at 3:54 am Monday, 18 February 2013.

Synoptic Situation: At 4am AEST Monday, a slow moving surface trough was situated near the Queensland east coast. A low is expected to develop along the trough off the Herbert and Lower Burdekin coast today and move in a south to southeast direction parallel to the Queensland east coast before deepening further off the southeast Queensland coast on Tuesday.

Heavy rain, which may lead to flash flooding, is expected to develop about coastal and adjacent inland areas between Bowen and Brisbane during today and into Tuesday. 24 hour totals of up to 100 to 200mm are likely, with isolated totals in excess of 200mm possible.

These conditions are expected to contract to the south of about St Lawrence tonight, before also possibly extending down to the NSW border on Tuesday.

Locations which may be affected include Brisbane, Maroochydore, Gympie, Bundaberg, Gladstone, Mackay, Proserpine and Bowen.

Emergency Management Queensland advises that people should:
* Avoid driving, walking or riding through flood waters.
* Keep clear of creeks and storm drains.
* For emergency assistance contact the SES on 132 500.


EWN Radar | Alerts Map | Discussion Forum | QLD Facebook Alerts | Twitter Alerts
Unsubscribe or EWN Support | BoM Radar