I got Offer but Scam !

[Peacemann]

I got an email from someone from japan who wants to buy my domain . I got excited and then I asked about details about his offer then he suggest me to pay a few hundred bucks to a appraisal company to verify domain value. Then they forward me to a fake google website as a reference. Please be beware of this scammers

**First e-mail:

" Hello!

I represent a buyer from Kagoshima who wants to buy switzerlandtime . com for a new web project.

Is your domain still available for acquisition?

The buyer is a professional investor with a good budget.

I located your contact information via whois search.

If you have more names please email me the list.

Best Regards,

Miyuki Takizawa

Vice President

ONAMAE Cloud Hosting

Tokyo

Japan


Phone: +816715482704 "



**Second e-mail:
"
Commission of our company is only 5%. It's paid by the buyer.

He will send you money via Authorize Net Escrow. They support Japanese buyers and may release the funds to you via Paypal, wire, check, Payeer, Advanced Cash and Western Union.

The buyer offers a price in $15,000 - $30,000 range.

Do you have an appraisal certificate with trademark infringement verification included? It's required by the buyer and his bank.

The final sale price will depend on the appraised value of your domain made by an independent agency.

If you don't have the certificate it's not a problem. You can order it online.

Please note he cannot accept it from any agency. He needs a manual service. It also must be a third party independent agency (not your broker our auction site) and must be accepted by his bank. The appraisal agency must support a copy of this appraisal in Japanese upon request. The appraisal certificate must include the trademark infringement verification. My client must be sure your domain has no TM problems. The appraisal certificate must be up to date (issued during last 30 days).

You can read about certification agencies at Google Answers: tinyurl . com/yd6o7ltb (I've made a short form of the long Google Answers link in TinyURL. “Domain Broker” is my nickname).

The process is very easy:

1. Go to the certificate agency site and order the certificate. The service recommended at Google Answers is accepted by the buyer's bank (they support Japanese and English languages). It guarantees us a smooth and fast transaction. They also provide full money back guarantee so it's absolutely safe for you.

Please specify in the comment field you have a buyer with $XX,XXX offer. It will increase the final appraised value.

2. Send the certificate to me and we will start the sale process the same day. He will pay you the appraised value stated in your certificate.

If you are new to the certification process, I can help you with the step by step instructions how to order a proper certificate online. "

 

[CJ6]

I'm still waiting on my money from Bill Gates for forwarding an email in the 90s.

 

[AbdulBasit.com]

That's clear cut scam and here is what I received few days back from [email protected]:

"Hello,
Would you be interested in selling your domain name xxxxxx.com ?
I can offer $25000 USD.

I need a domain for my personal use. Please let me know if you are interested and I can send you more details.

Best Regards,
Tonya"

Now why would someone offer $25,000 for a domain I have put up BIN at 9K both at Sedo and Afternic for last many months. Also who offers 25K for a domain wanting for personal use! Too many loopholes in one single email which can be caught very easily.

Such people don't even do research at all. Not looking at whom they're sending email and presenting too high offer to alert even a normal domain owner who isn't a domainer by profession.

 

[Dave]

That's clear cut scam and here is what I received few days back from [email protected]:

"Hello,
Would you be interested in selling your domain name xxxxxx.com ?
I can offer $25000 USD.

I need a domain for my personal use. Please let me know if you are interested and I can send you more details.

Best Regards,
Tonya"

Now why would someone offer $25,000 for a domain I have put up BIN at 9K both at Sedo and Afternic for last many months. Also who offers 25K for a domain wanting for personal use! Too many loopholes in one single email which can be caught very easily.

Such people don't even do research at all. Not looking at whom they're sending email and presenting too high offer to alert even a normal domain owner who isn't a domainer by profession.

I know you're right.. but isn't it always just worth sending them an Escrow link to purchase the domain name. What have you got to lose? You just never know.. stranger things have happened.

 

[AbdulBasit.com]

I know you're right.. but isn't it always just worth sending them an Escrow link to purchase the domain name. What have you got to lose? You just never know.. stranger things have happened.

I agree that there is no harm in doing that so. I knew about this scam right from the start of getting the email and did something similar for proceeding further but that wasn't going to happen. And as expected, so called Tonya Horton Scammer vanished from the scene

 

[sharfab]

I see the "scammers" are becoming more cunning and creative with their marketing...

 

[AbdulBasit.com]

I see the "scammers" are becoming more cunning and creative with their marketing...

They have to yeah... in order to survive and keep going

 

[CJ6]

I've always been tempted to simply send a badly drawn out "certificate" and see if they respond.

 

[MapleDots]

What those emails aren't real?

Darn, I had a number of those emails lately and I've already spent the money thinking the sales were a sure thing

How am I going to pay my bills now

 

[RobM]

It becomes harder to explain to people why it's a scam when certain people are legitimately selling worthless 'appraisals' in the domain industry. Very simple - if you ever have to buy an appraisal the only person who profits is the people who sold you it. If you don't know what you would accept for a domain then nobody else can tell you - especially for money.

 

[siravi]

Thanks for sharing the content.

 

[CHETAN PURI]

i got the same email

 

[maxjohan]

Same guy as OP sent me around Christmas. I was offered $40k for a handreg I had for sale for $45k. Luckily I did a Google search on the guy and never bothered to reply after I found out the truth.

 

[ResoluteDomains]

I know you're right.. but isn't it always just worth sending them an Escrow link to purchase the domain name. What have you got to lose? You just never know.. stranger things have happened.

True, you never know!

The other day I received a $100K offer on a domain that I have a BIN $4888 so I accepted it and sent it to escrow. 99.9999% of me says this is not a real buyer/sale but there is always that chance that - you never know. Took 10 seconds to accept and send to escrow. I am not holding my breath though.

 

[OmarVG]

Then they forward me to a fake google website as a reference. Please be beware of this scammers

The old classic Appraisal SCAM fraudster... It seems the scammer is still free and doing the same routine... What a Mediocre Lifestyle of that Loser!

 

[Rahul Sinha]

Lol i also got same email couple of hours back. Waiting now for domain certification email from him .

 

[brandboss]

I received same email many times.

 

[MapleDots]

I'm lonely...... I love those emails and make them think they are a hair away from getting my money.

But alas, the relationship soon ends with a quarrel over money

Seriously though....

Engage them and waste their time, if we all do that they will soon tire.

 

[Rahul Sinha]

Finally i got domain appraisal request from this scammer.

and i replied as below.


Lol

i am planning to certify it from DOMAINSCAMMERS.COM ? are you ready ? Or even i myself certify domains and provide certificate.

If you need to certify some domains, please transfer those domains to my account and i will certify free of cost.


If interested please let me know with list of domains you want to transfer.

 

[alcy]

yes this is a very common scam

not a particularly clever or good one either imo

 

[Negoshi]

Darnit...just received an email from [email protected] offering me 6 BTC or ~ $41k

:p

 

[Dorkvader]

Is this where I should admit when I get bored and a scammer contacts me... I convince them I am interested in their services, lead them on and try to get as much personal information out of them as possible. When I'm satisfied with the information they have given me.. I sign them up for spam and a bunch of other garbage I'm sure will annoy them.

 

[Foskaay]

Got same about a week ago on a current domain i offered to sell for 5figures.
It is pure scam!