Tips to avoid being ripped off by website renewal scams online
Just a quick note to warn my clients, and non-clients alike, not to fall for the common website renewal scams and domain renewal scams that are going around these days. I've seen so many posts recently, and clients have contacted me for years, about getting notices by email, text or in the mail saying their domain is going to expire or their account has been suspended.
"Your website has been suspended! To renew, click on this link and enter your credit card information."
Don't do it. The easiest way to tell if an email is a scam, is check the email address in the "from" field. Is it from your web hosting provider? If it is from a free gmail address, then it's a scam. The first thing you should do is check your website online to see if it is up and running. Then log into your account to check the renewal date and see if there are any warnings there. If I have helped you out with your website or if you have an ongoing support plan with me, contact me before taking any action.
"Your domain is scheduled to be renewed, don't let it expire!"
If you receive a letter in the mail about your domain renewal, it is probably a marketing ploy to try to get you to switch to a different domain provider. Most domain providers will simply send an email when your plan is renewing. Check to see if there is any wording saying something like, "This is not a bill" or "This is a marketing campaign" or something similar. Again, go straight to the source by logging into your domain account and checking the expiration date and renewal status. If I have worked on your website or if you have an ongoing support plan with my, contact me before taking any action.
I hope this helps you to recognize a scam before you compromise your bank account, website or business. When in doubt, I have no problem with you contacting me to check my records or investigate for you.