This smells a bit but I can't (yet) see the scam

joehark · Nov 19, 2009

Maybe someone else has experience with the following received by one of my hosting service clients (name redacted). I'm pretty sure it's a scam but I can't say why. Anyone?

Subject: Internet Copyright of REDACTED (To Principal)
Importance: High

Dear President/CEO,

Hello!Sorry to trouble you!
We are a domain name registration service company in HongKong, which mainly deal with international company's domain name registration and disputing in Asia.On the Nov 17, 2009, we received an application formally from Jinmeng Investment Co., Ltd,who applied for the Internet trademark: "REDACTED" and some domain names relevant to this trademark from our organization.

According to our procedures and in order to protect your intellectual property rights, we need to send this email to the original company for confirming the actual relationship with this company.If you do not know this company, we doubt that they have other motivation to register these domain names and probably want to do some cybersquatting. Now we have postponed this issue and have not proceeded their registration,In order not to confuse registering these domain names,Please contact us Asap.

PS:If you are not in charge of this matter,please transfer this email to appropriate dept.

Best Regards,

Cary

Web: www.asiadm.org
Tel: 00852-95660496

Fax: 00852-30197872

Mail: [email protected]

The first red flag is the oh so sincere preemptive intention to prevent cybersquatting. Like this is something every registrar does. And like a Chinese company has their panties in a twist to "protect your intellectual property right." Sure.

exxe · Nov 19, 2009

I have received few emails like that. It's a scam.

David G · Nov 19, 2009

I have been getting those email for ages. Looked into it once and believe it's a scam attempt using alleged trademarks as a weapon to get you to reg alternate extensions of names you already own (especially .cn) by a high priced foreign registrar.