{"id":845333,"date":"2025-12-03T08:57:59","date_gmt":"2025-12-03T06:57:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=845333"},"modified":"2025-12-03T08:58:05","modified_gmt":"2025-12-03T06:58:05","slug":"7-domain-name-scams-to-watch-out-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/industry-news\/845333\/7-domain-name-scams-to-watch-out-for\/","title":{"rendered":"7 domain name scams to watch out for\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Domain name scams are on the rise worldwide. This is because cybercriminals realise just how central a <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/domain-registration?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_term=December+2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">domain name<\/a><\/strong> is to any SME&#8217;s brand strategy and want to exploit it.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A BlueVoyant report, released earlier this year, indicated that lookalike domain registrations have gone up from around 150 per month in 2024 to roughly 450 per month in 2025.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/domain-registration?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_term=December+2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Click here to register a domain name safely with Domains.co.za.<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>A <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/the-domain-name-scams-guide\/?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_term=December+2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">domain name scam<\/a><\/strong> is a type of cybercrime aimed at tricking domain owners into paying for fake services, sharing sensitive information, or even transferring ownership of their domain without consent.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s a way for cybercriminals to impersonate legitimate companies, create fake domain services, or set up lookalike websites to steal customer data. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A domain name scam can affect any business, and it is important to know what they are and how an SME can protect itself.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The 7 Most Common Domain Name Scams&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. Lookalike Domains (Domain Spoofing)\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cybercriminals are registering domain names that are almost identical to established companies to trick customers into visiting fake websites or sharing personal information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, a criminal could register <em>NikeSA.co.za<\/em> and send promo emails directing people to a fraudulent online store.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even a small spelling change can make these sites appear legitimate. Watch out!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. Fake Domain Renewal \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Did you know that bad actors can access the public WHOIS database to gather domain owner information?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is called Domain Scraping.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They use contact information obtained here to send emails claiming a domain is about to expire, payment failed, or a domain will be suspended unless payment is made immediately.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The aim is to steal login credentials, credit card information, or receive payment for fake renewals. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. Authorised Domain Transfer (Domain Slamming)\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Without proper security measures in place, it isn&#8217;t that hard for a bad actor to transfer a domain away from your current registrar or host to someone else, making you lose control of your domain. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All they need is to trick you into clicking on a couple of links.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s often in the form of an official-looking email claiming to be from your registrar or hosting provider, warning you that your domain is due for renewal and prompting you to click a link.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What you don\u2019t notice is the fine print stating that, by clicking, you\u2019re actually approving a domain transfer to another provider.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A scam like this can cost your business money, interrupt daily operations, and damage your reputation with customers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4. Domain Hijacking\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Domain hijacking is the result of a successful phishing scam or weak password creation that led to a cybercriminal gaining access to your domain account.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once they have access, they can transfer ownership without permission.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They can also redirect your website, lock you out of emails, replace content with malicious pages, or sell your domain. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>5. Search Engine or Directory Scams\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some cybercriminals promise to submit your domain to search engines and directories to improve rankings, scamming you into paying a lot of money for a service that they won&#8217;t render.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don&#8217;t fall victim to this, as search engines will index your new website automatically. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>6. Alternative Domain Scams\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cybercriminals often send emails to domain name owners claiming that someone else is trying to register a domain similar to theirs and offer to \u201csecure\u201d it at inflated prices.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These scare tactics exploit fear of brand damage, but the threat is usually non-existent.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>7. Domain Purchase and Appraisal Scams\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a scam that targets anyone who owns a domain name that appears valuable or brand-worthy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s normally someone representing an interested party that&#8217;s willing to pay a high price to obtain the domain.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But in order to proceed, a certified appraisal is required. The appraisal fee is costly, and once you pay it, the so-called \u201cbuyer\u201d vanishes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is no real investor, no genuine offer, and no legitimate appraisal.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to protect your domain:&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Register with a trusted provider like Domains.co.za to ensure secure processes and support.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Activate Domain Transfer Lock to prevent unauthorised moves.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use Two-Factor Authentication on your domain account for added account security.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Set up Auto Renewal to avoid falling for fake renewal emails.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Verify all emails and links before acting. Double check URLs for misspellings, letters replaced with numbers etc.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enable WHOIS Privacy to protect your personal information.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Educate yourself and your team on spotting scams. &nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>At <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/domain-registration?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_term=December+2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Domains.co.za<\/a><\/strong>, your domain&#8217;s safety is important to us.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We therefore offer security features like <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/domain-transfer-lock\/?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_term=December+2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Domain Transfer Lock<\/a><\/strong>, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/whois-privacy?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_term=December+2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WHOIS Privacy<\/a><\/strong>, Two-Factor Authentication, auto-renewal and multi-year registrations, to help keep your domain safe.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/domain-registration?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_term=December+2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Click here to register a domain name safely with Domains.co.za.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lookalike domain registrations have gone up from around 150 per month in 2024 to roughly 450 per month in 2025. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":845334,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10459],"tags":[24310,3945],"class_list":["post-845333","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry-news","tag-domain-safety","tag-domains"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/845333","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/57"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=845333"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/845333\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":845336,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/845333\/revisions\/845336"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/845334"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=845333"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=845333"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=845333"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}