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,

 

[Abdirizaq]

This is a well thought of, well planned scam, made up deliberately of parts that each support each other to convince.

• 5 different emails at different domains made to look (possibly manned) 5 different professional people.
• Use of Telegram
• Name of main website at heart of the scam chosen carefully. Authorize.net is reputable genuine site . The crooks chose authorize-net.org and authorizeweb.net. So similar. Makes it hard for anyone researching to find bad reviews about it as Google as the genuine site is so highly ranked in Google.
• Use of third party companies for payment. They don't take payment on their site. I had to use Simplex.

 

[carob]

This is a well thought of, well planned scam, made up deliberately of parts that each support each other to convince.

The details and components don't matter. Just google domain appraisal scam anytime.

To sell a domain there are reputable platforms and markets offering escrow services.

 

[~ The 34 Year Buzz!!]

Come on people , this is hard not to fall for it ???

Yes it can be very easy to "fall for it". 350 ETH is a huge price (a very desirable payday), so you continued even though you had doubts. The excessive amount (offered for the domain) should have told you it was clearly bogus. An offer closer to low $x,xxx, for example, would have been a bit more believable, but...

At a lower price all the "my highly-qualified client needs certs" doesn't make sense, so either way it is a standard old scam.

 

[Abdirizaq]

Let us please get the word out that these sites :
Authorize-net.org and Authorizeweb.net are scams.

I have researched them and even scam directories and online tools see them as harmless. Nobody has yet reported them.

 

[Kate]

Come on people , this is hard not to fall for it ???

You don't find it strange that they contact you out of the blue, offer such a big sum from the outset, without discussion ?
Then they should have paid for that 'appraisal'.

Definitely charge back as much as you can.

 

[MapleDots]

One of the most idiotic warning signs I have ever seen.

I mean you would figure that some things are just easy enough to figure out without warnings right?

Is domaining the only place people fall for appraisal scams? I mean where else can you go to a buyer and say pay me first for an appraisal and then I will buy your product.

 

[BaileyUK]

This is a well thought of, well planned scam, made up deliberately of parts that each support each other to convince.

• 5 different emails at different domains made to look (possibly manned) 5 different professional people.

No - All those email addresses just redirect back to the same scammer. He can use any of them for outbound and reply to you.

Notice how you got fairly quick replies from all of them.

 

[~ The 34 Year Buzz!!]

One of the most idiotic warning signs I have ever seen.

I mean you would figure that some things are just easy enough to figure out without warnings right?

Show attachment 107112
...

Do not iron clothes on body?

 

[dande]

Like you said, you're not into domain business so no one would blame you for falling into this.

Just see what you can do to try and get your money back

 

[MapleDots]

I have an interesting comment to add here?

Why is it they call it "common sense"

Should it not really be called "UnCommon Sense" ?

It seems there is a shortage of common sense so technically it is no longer common.

 

[AutoDealer]

Domains are pretty much a demand and supply deal. I have never paid for an appraisal. Just negotiated a deal.

If you can dispute the charge on your account, I would do that for sure. Either your back or PayPal .

I'm sorry that happened to you.

 

[Ramesh Kumar G]

Those are Trap scam.
Anything you need to do with Securities , SSLS .. you should be purchasing them from the proper registrars from who you bought the domain are you can transfer them to any other good registrars where you can subscribe to such packages depending up on the type of online project you are developing.

 

[Arfy]

I just want to say thanks to @Abdirizaq for documenting the entire life cycle of the scam so that everybody can learn from this. I know most of us are already aware of these scams but it is insightful to see how far they actually go with it and the number of different channels they have set up to support the scam and make it seem genuine - fake reviews, Telegram, different email accounts for referral etc.

It is sad that you were scammed but what I would say is that you are lucky they did not take more money from you. I do have a very important question for you though as you may still be in danger:

When you entered your credit card or payment information, did you enter this at the website in a form of some sort?

If the answer to the above is yes, then I would block your credit card immediately to prevent your money being stolen as your credit card details may have been Phished.

Also, What information have you shared either over email or on the websites they gave you?

Good luck in the future. Next time, do ask these sorts of questions here before you take action rather than after it is too late. Good on you for sharing your experience.

CK.

 

[atinc]

When you entered your credit card or payment information, did you enter this at the website in a form of some sort?

If the answer to the above is yes, then I would block your credit card immediately to prevent your money being stolen as your credit card details may have been Phished.

You should definitely listen this advice. It is very important and well spotted.

Don't even wait for another minute to do so.

 

[pier0]

First rule of the con: Find someone who wants something for nothing, then give him nothing for something.

And this is exactly what this scam does: they look for owners of domain names who think they can get something (in this case 350 ETH or $40k) for nothing (a worthless domain) and then give them nothing (the appraisal certificate) for something ($360 + personal details).

 

[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.