Is this a scam - Help Please

[Abdirizaq]

Hi Everyone
I need your advice urgently please.

I am not involved in domain selling but happen to own few for planned websites.

Few days ago I have been contacted by guys who said they are brokers and a client wants to buy one of my domains.

They said the buyer first wants certificate be obtained from this website :
authorize-net.org/appraisal.htm.

So reluctantly I went ahead and paid 359 dollars for that.

Now, they said, I need to sign up for this service from the same website :
authorize-net.org/sell_order.htm

I am totally confused - suspicious but unsure that this might be standard in the world of domain selling/buying.

Have you ever heard of this website? Is it a known scam Web? What do you think of this thing?
Your advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks,

 

[carob]

Never heard of anyone actually paying for these "appraisals" before. Usually we get people posting here asking if they should respond, and the "appraisal" fee is about $60.00. You can always ask them to pay your for an appraisal of their appraisal scheme.

The two scam websites that OP mentioned are on domains registered in 2018, are still live sites, feature domains wanted ads and seek sellers, they say. Is naming them on NP driving traffic to them?

Domains Wanted Ads

$500,000 for a good one word .info or .biz domain.

Financial and insurance related domains WANTED !!! Up to $20,000

Places , City Domains Wanted. Budget is around $20,000-$30,000.

Interesting that they claim certain partners who may object to that claim: Visa, Domaintools, ICANN, escrow companies, and claim to be BBB registered.

 

[IridiumThunder]

If you gave them your Banking information, you shoud contact your bank asap and change everything you gave them eg. through a "trusted payment service", like passwords, credit card numbers, etc. But please consult your bank first, and not take my word for it.