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So I got the following email just yesterday. New domainers seem to still fall for this one, so I will share:
This is called the appraisal scam:
Offer to purchase (YourDomain).com(2)
[email protected]
To: MyEmail
Sep 6 at 6:20 PM
Hello!
I represent a businessman who is going to buy (YourDomain).com.
The buyer is a professional investor. Your domain will be used as a part of his online project.
I located your contact information in a domain name whois lookup and understand that you own the domain name.
Are you still interested in selling?
I work for a hosting company from UK.
If you have more domains, please email me the list.
Are you a beginner or an experienced seller?
Best Regards,
Anna Greenberg
Vice President
Hostgator UK
***Red Flags***
My response:
My asking price is $5,000 US.
If you agree to the price; i will go ahead and setup payment through escrow.
So i choose a straightforward route...Now If they come back with the appraisal scam part two.. I may just pretend to be a little lamb and bring their hopes real high... I''ll add any response to this.
This is called the appraisal scam:
Offer to purchase (YourDomain).com(2)
[email protected]
To: MyEmail
Sep 6 at 6:20 PM
Hello!
I represent a businessman who is going to buy (YourDomain).com.
The buyer is a professional investor. Your domain will be used as a part of his online project.
I located your contact information in a domain name whois lookup and understand that you own the domain name.
Are you still interested in selling?
I work for a hosting company from UK.
If you have more domains, please email me the list.
Are you a beginner or an experienced seller?
Best Regards,
Anna Greenberg
Vice President
Hostgator UK
***Red Flags***
- Before you open the email, the subject starts with the name hostgator? I was puzzled because I didn't have any names with hostgator nor did i know they broker domains..
- After opening the email i saw this sending email address: [email protected]. So thought, what professional or legitimate service runs a business using such a crappy email and website name (hostgator-smtp.info)???
- Now,if this man is a broker, he is doing his client a great favor telling me his client got big money to spend and he "is" going to buy the name.. wow my lucky day!!!!!
- "I work for a hosting company from UK."- Wow I guess using the name host gator in his email and website address will make it legit since everyone domain have heard the name hostgator... hard to miss that gator.
- "If you have more domains, please email me the list."-- Wow again! I might even get luckier!!! So now he is not going to just buy this name but I might end up selling more names from my portfolio. I better not mess this up. I guess this is to use psychology to lure the simple minded or people who have no knowledge yet of this tactic..smh
- "Best Regards, Anna Greenberg" ugggnn surprise! Apologies, I didn't know this was a lady. 99% of scam emails I've gotten; male names were used. I guess this is to soften any worries or concerns I may be having.
- "Vice President Hostgator UK" and to rap it up; to seal the deal.. She let me know she is the voice president. Like dave chappelle< I'm rich beeeech.. Or maybe not. And with the official seal- Host gator UK. I'm convinced!
- After a whois search of their website:
Created 02 Aug, 2016 / about 1 month ago
Expires 02 Aug, 2017
Registrant WHO IS AGENT
Organization Whois Privacy Protection Service, Inc
My response:
My asking price is $5,000 US.
If you agree to the price; i will go ahead and setup payment through escrow.
So i choose a straightforward route...Now If they come back with the appraisal scam part two.. I may just pretend to be a little lamb and bring their hopes real high... I''ll add any response to this.
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