Probable scam aimed at webmasters.

[vinylweatherman]

I have just received an email from "World Registry Center" regarding my website. They have sent a "notice" advising me to protect my site against "copyright issues" by purchasing the rights to the .com variant, which has rather conveniently "just become available due to non-payment".

Their website looks like that of a domain registrar, but when I searched the name in Google, the ONLY hits came from WITHIN their own domain. Not what I would expect when searching for a LEGITIMATE business name with some history.

The postal address turns out to belong to a "confidential maildrop service", which advertises the benefits of being able to use it for "legally grey" purposes, such as "a convenient way to receive your USA Only eBay parcels" among other things.

Clearly, this is a BOGUS business address, and the REAL address for this alleged registrar is not available.

Despite this, their website takes payment for the registration of domains..... or does it Do you pay, but find you have NOT purchased the rights to your domain at all, just donated money (and your card details) to some scammer.

In the email itself, the URL is CLOAKED, so could be ANYTHING, probably NOT what is actually DISPLAYED as the url.

It looks like a website with no real substance behind it, and no disclosure of who you are REALLY doing business with. NO information elsewhere on the ENTIRE INTERNET about this business either, making it look like it was set up "yesterday".

I'll stick with my current registrar, and I do have a CHOICE of which registrar to use should I decide to secure other variants of the domain.

The prices with this one seem suspiciously cheap, but with plenty of incentives to make multiple purchases of these cheap options, the end result of which would NOT be so cheap.

Other webmasters may be receiving the same, or similar.

[Webzcas]

If your domain name is a .co.uk domain, the only snail mail you should receive if any concerning it, is from Nominet. Even then, that will just be to confirm your ownership and registration of the .co.uk domain concerned.

Any other emails or regular mails concerning other TLD domains including .com, disregard unless it is from the registrar you used to register said domain.

If for whatever reason ICAAN have an issue with your domain, they will contact your registrar who in turn will contact you.

There are many domain name scams going around, particulary from China, whereby they try to coerce you into registering additional worthless variants based on a Trademark Infringement.

Just send to the recycle bin or shredder. Whichever is more appropriate.