Possible Godaddy Scam Alert

a1nerd · 08-10-2006, 04:34 PM

I'm very dissapointed and shocked that Godaddy would run such a scheme. I want to see if anyone has a similar expierence. I had a domain name that was supposed to drop today. Yesterday i got an email like this

Greetings,

I would like to buy your domain adamcarola.com, if possible.

If you are able to sell and release the rights to this domain please
let me know. I am looking to buy within a week or two so let me know
how much it would cost to take over this domain.

Regards,

Mike Bernstein

I called godaddy and asked them what do i need to do to sale this domain. They told me it looks like it's going to drop tomorrow and you must pay $9 to save the domain name so you can sell it. I purchase the domain name again and never got a response back from that mystery buyer. From what i can see this is some kind of auto generated email sent out by goaddy to scheme people into registering there domain name with them again before it's droped. Anyone else have this scheme sent to them? If so how do i report internet fraud?

gou · 08-10-2006, 04:54 PM

Hmm, that seems very odd...
I've never had that experience before.

ahtum · 08-10-2006, 05:29 PM

Post the full email you got from that guy and the original headers. I'm sure godaddy has nothing to do with it. Why? Is just too big

Rom · 08-10-2006, 05:44 PM

GoDaddy lol?

That's not GoDaddy's fault.

It's the person who wanted to buy.

r4h · 08-10-2006, 05:56 PM

well it would be a good idea to make a point of this and keep the eyes out... but people would catch on pretty quickly I would think.

GoDaddy · 08-10-2006, 06:47 PM

No way, we certainly do not send out fake emails.

Like Ahtum suggested, let me see the full headers of that email...

edit · 08-10-2006, 07:39 PM

Ya, GoDaddy is way too big to send out fake emails wanting to buy domains so you renew them lol. Though I'm sure you may have just given some small registrars an idea.

Dan · 08-10-2006, 07:49 PM

edit, exactly; they are big. Meaning they have more people to get more money from.

Either way, the headers of the email won't really show anything.

GoDaddy is a giant registrar, they could send an email from any domain, hosting, etc.

a1nerd · 08-10-2006, 08:43 PM

It can be a spoofed email address. The email address is not from godaddy. Anyone can easily spoof email addresses. I offer the guy the domain for $5 just to see if he was real and i never got a response. So it looks to be some auto generated response.

_FLIP_ · 08-10-2006, 08:52 PM

Probably someone is doing this for fun to make people renew their domains that they would have let drop.

BTW, adam corolla, I love his radio show.

floatingworld · 08-10-2006, 08:56 PM

...you fell for a get-rich quick scam, got hurt, and then lashed out at GD. Oh dearie-dear...

IAmAllanShore · 08-10-2006, 09:48 PM

Originally Posted by a1nerd

It can be a spoofed email address. The email address is not from godaddy. Anyone can easily spoof email addresses. I offer the guy the domain for $5 just to see if he was real and i never got a response. So it looks to be some auto generated response.

While anyone may be able to spoof an email address, post the full headers so we can check a little deeper, please

GoDaddy being behind the email is almost a laughable suggestion, as your $9 isn't worth the risk of any bad press (And any other issues aside, that just doesn't sound like a GD business practice.).

Thanks to GoDaddy for weighing in.

-Allan

cache · 08-10-2006, 10:02 PM

email address header should not help you any. You may just call gd and ask them if they sent out such email directly

a1nerd · 08-11-2006, 02:17 AM

not if they do it to millions of domain names. Do the math

Just like paypal freezing peoples funds for 180 days and keeping the intrest.

Originally Posted by IAmAllanShore

While anyone may be able to spoof an email address, post the full headers so we can check a little deeper, please

????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/domain-name-discussion/226449-possible-godaddy-scam-alert.html

GoDaddy being behind the email is almost a laughable suggestion, as your $9 isn't worth the risk of any bad press (And any other issues aside, that just doesn't sound like a GD business practice.).

Thanks to GoDaddy for weighing in.

-Allan

namewaiter · 08-11-2006, 06:57 AM

considering i registered xxx domains with them that drop routinely, i would guess i'd be getting xxx of the same emails from them?

seeker · 08-11-2006, 07:14 AM

if a domain was about to drop the next day, how on earth would $9 get it back???
that means it was at pending delete stage. No way they could get it back.
if it was at redepmtion, the price is MUCH higher than $9.
I dont understand your situation.

CFH DJB · 08-11-2006, 07:20 AM

seeker, the $9 is for renewal. As far as GoDaddy being behind this, though, I find it a little hard to believe. I have had quite a few domains registered with them in the past, and never experienced a problem like this.

.X. · 08-11-2006, 07:26 AM

Originally Posted by seeker

if a domain was about to drop the next day, how on earth would $9 get it back???
that means it was at pending delete stage. No way they could get it back.
if it was at redepmtion, the price is MUCH higher than $9.
I dont understand your situation.

I agree,From what i have read,I definatly can't understand this situation.

Originally Posted by namewaiter

considering i registered xxx domains with them that drop routinely, i would guess i'd be getting xxx of the same emails from them?

Same thing here,I have let many drop over the last month,The only e-mail i ever receive is the fact the name is expiring,Never anything else,This sounds like a spoof e-mail from someone else,I don't see godaddy doing business in a negative way...They also have TDNAM...They can simply auction off a domain name if the register lets the name expire.

irishmat · 08-11-2006, 08:38 AM

its defo not a scam, do you reckon GD would risk losing all its domaining customers over your $9

obviously just someone that decided against the domain

Stevie · 08-11-2006, 10:25 AM

I recieved the exact same e-mail from Mike Bernstein for a domain which expires in 2007. I did reply and no response as of yet. Coincidentally, the domain is registered at Godaddy.

irishmat · 08-11-2006, 10:27 AM

maybe its some kind of email address trawling thing for spamming, and they are wanting a reply to confirm email addy is in use

08-10-2006, 04:34 PM	THREAD STARTER #1 (permalink)
a1nerd NamePros Regular Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 550	Possible Godaddy Scam Alert I'm very dissapointed and shocked that Godaddy would run such a scheme. I want to see if anyone has a similar expierence. I had a domain name that was supposed to drop today. Yesterday i got an email like this Greetings, I would like to buy your domain adamcarola.com, if possible. If you are able to sell and release the rights to this domain please let me know. I am looking to buy within a week or two so let me know how much it would cost to take over this domain. Regards, Mike Bernstein I called godaddy and asked them what do i need to do to sale this domain. They told me it looks like it's going to drop tomorrow and you must pay $9 to save the domain name so you can sell it. I purchase the domain name again and never got a response back from that mystery buyer. From what i can see this is some kind of auto generated email sent out by goaddy to scheme people into registering there domain name with them again before it's droped. Anyone else have this scheme sent to them? If so how do i report internet fraud?

08-10-2006, 05:56 PM	#5 (permalink)
r4h NamePros Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 149	well it would be a good idea to make a point of this and keep the eyes out... but people would catch on pretty quickly I would think. __________________ silver.im - taking offers. All domains listed here: www.buyagood.com

08-10-2006, 10:02 PM	#13 (permalink)
cache Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Goblin Wars Zone & California Posts: 4,471	email address header should not help you any. You may just call gd and ask them if they sent out such email directly __________________ LaFrance Hods Raids Trik OXSI GoblinWars IQx yPortal Idel enlo Kitu Hytu Albums eMontage Cereal Tarf MDTalks Toch TV vald hosy iBoar Glem wolk corg ypen DiTV

08-11-2006, 07:14 AM	#16 (permalink)
seeker Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 1,168	if a domain was about to drop the next day, how on earth would $9 get it back??? that means it was at pending delete stage. No way they could get it back. if it was at redepmtion, the price is MUCH higher than $9. I dont understand your situation. __________________ Seek and you shall find!

08-11-2006, 07:20 AM	#17 (permalink)
CFH DJB NamePros Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: East Coast, USA Posts: 86	seeker, the $9 is for renewal. As far as GoDaddy being behind this, though, I find it a little hard to believe. I have had quite a few domains registered with them in the past, and never experienced a problem like this. __________________ Daniel B. - WebMaster Web Hosting

	LeadRefs	Forum Sponsorship
	Want to sell your domain? LeadRefs.com finds multiple potential buyers to contact instantly!

08-10-2006, 04:54 PM	#2 (permalink)
gou NamePros Regular Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 711	Hmm, that seems very odd... I've never had that experience before.

08-10-2006, 05:29 PM	#3 (permalink)
ahtum Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 1,327	Post the full email you got from that guy and the original headers. I'm sure godaddy has nothing to do with it. Why? Is just too big

08-10-2006, 05:44 PM	#4 (permalink)
Rom Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 2,436	GoDaddy lol? That's not GoDaddy's fault. It's the person who wanted to buy.

08-10-2006, 06:47 PM	#6 (permalink)
GoDaddy NamePros Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Phoenix Posts: 31	No way, we certainly do not send out fake emails. Like Ahtum suggested, let me see the full headers of that email...

08-10-2006, 07:39 PM	#7 (permalink)
edit NamePros Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 107	Ya, GoDaddy is way too big to send out fake emails wanting to buy domains so you renew them lol. Though I'm sure you may have just given some small registrars an idea.

08-10-2006, 07:49 PM	#8 (permalink)
Dan Buy my domains. Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 2,792	edit, exactly; they are big. Meaning they have more people to get more money from. Either way, the headers of the email won't really show anything. GoDaddy is a giant registrar, they could send an email from any domain, hosting, etc.

08-10-2006, 08:43 PM	THREAD STARTER #9 (permalink)
a1nerd NamePros Regular Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 550	It can be a spoofed email address. The email address is not from godaddy. Anyone can easily spoof email addresses. I offer the guy the domain for $5 just to see if he was real and i never got a response. So it looks to be some auto generated response.

08-10-2006, 08:52 PM	#10 (permalink)
_FLIP_ NamePros Regular Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: California Posts: 777	Probably someone is doing this for fun to make people renew their domains that they would have let drop. BTW, adam corolla, I love his radio show.

08-10-2006, 08:56 PM	#11 (permalink)
floatingworld dawnofthefloatingworld Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: nightlesscity Posts: 3,413	...you fell for a get-rich quick scam, got hurt, and then lashed out at GD. Oh dearie-dear...

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)

08-11-2006, 06:57 AM	#15 (permalink)
namewaiter Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: cleveland Posts: 2,203	considering i registered xxx domains with them that drop routinely, i would guess i'd be getting xxx of the same emails from them?

08-11-2006, 08:38 AM	#19 (permalink)
irishmat Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 2,356	its defo not a scam, do you reckon GD would risk losing all its domaining customers over your $9 obviously just someone that decided against the domain __________________ Y5S.com for sale - PM mepoker blog

08-11-2006, 10:25 AM	#20 (permalink)
Stevie NamePros Regular Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: England Posts: 656	I recieved the exact same e-mail from Mike Bernstein for a domain which expires in 2007. I did reply and no response as of yet. Coincidentally, the domain is registered at Godaddy.

08-11-2006, 10:27 AM	#21 (permalink)
irishmat Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 2,356	maybe its some kind of email address trawling thing for spamming, and they are wanting a reply to confirm email addy is in use __________________ Y5S.com for sale - PM mepoker blog