Scam: Chinese Domain Name Registration Conflict: An Urgent Notice for CEOs

Complete Email

From: Paul Liu <paul@chinesedomain.org>

Subject: Domain Name

Body:

(If you are NOT CEO, please kindly forward this to your CEO, because this is urgent. If you believe this has been sent to you in error, please ignore it. Thanks) Dear CEO, This email is from China domain name registration center in Shanghai, China. We received an application from Hongshun Ltd on June 5, 2024. They want to request "Domain Name" as their internet keyword and China (CN) domain names (Domain Name.cn, Domain Name.com.cn, Domain Name.net.cn, Domain Name.org.cn). But after checking it, we find this name conflict with your company name or trademark. In order to deal with this matter better, it's necessary to send email to you and confirm whether this company is your business partner in China?

Best Regards

Paul Liu | Service & Operations Manager

China Registry (Head Office)

Tel: +86-2161918696

Fax: +86-2161918697

Mob: +86-13816428671

12F Kaike Building, No. 1801 Hongmei Road, Shanghai 200233, China

This email contains privileged and confidential information intended for the addressee only. If you are not the intended recipient, please destroy this email and inform the sender immediately. We appreciate you respecting the confidentiality of this information by not disclosing or using the information in this email.

Red Flags

The email described contains several red flags that suggest it may be a scam typically known as a "domain name scam":

1. Urgency and Misdirection: The email starts by requesting the recipient to forward it to the CEO if they are not the CEO themselves, claiming urgency. This tactic is designed to bypass normal organizational controls and reach someone who may act without verifying the information.

2. Claim of Trademark Conflict: The sender claims that a company wants to register multiple domain names similar to the recipient's company name or trademark. This is a common scare tactic used in domain name scams to create a sense of threat or lost opportunity.

3. Request for Confirmation of Business Relationships: The email asks the recipient to confirm if the other company is a business partner. This can lead to unnecessary interaction with the scammer, who may use the opportunity to extract further sensitive information or fees.

4. Impersonation of an Official Entity: The sender claims to be from the "China domain name registration center," which sounds official but is likely fictitious. Real domain registration does not typically involve contacting unrelated third parties about potential conflicts.

5. Contact Information Overload: The inclusion of detailed contact information (phone, mobile, fax, and a physical address) is intended to make the scam appear legitimate. However, these can be fabricated or belong to a real office that has nothing to do with the sender.

6. Language and Formatting Issues: There are subtle language errors and formatting choices that might not align with those typically seen in official communications from a legitimate service or operations manager.

7. Confidentiality Warning: The email includes a stern warning about the confidentiality and privileged nature of the information, which is meant to intimidate the recipient into not seeking further verification.

Given these red flags, it is advisable not to respond directly to this email. Instead, verify the claim through independent means, such as contacting the official domain registration entities directly through their official websites, and avoid engaging with the sender.