Various organisations in Asia are sending emails to Australian .com.au domain name registrants with misleading information.
The scam appears to do with selling domain names by using uncertainty and doubt in the minds of the domain name owners.
From Asian domain name companies
Examples include:
We are a domain name registration service company in Asia,
Last week we received a formal application submited by Yadu Investment Co Ltd which wanted to use the keyword "***" to register the Internet Brand and with suffix such as .cn /.com.cn /.net.cn/.hk/ .asia/ domain names.
After our initial examination, we found that these domain names to be applied for registration are same as your domain name and trademark. We aren't sure whether you have any relation with this company. Because these domain names would produce possible dispute, now we have hold down this registration, but if we do not get your company's an reply in the next 5 working days, we will approve this company's application
In order to handle this issue better, Please contact us by Fax ,Telephone or Email as soon as possible.
and
We are a professional domain name registration center in asia, mainly dealing with the domain name registration and internet intellectual property rights protection.
We received a formal application from a company who is applying to register “***” as their domain name and Internet keyword on Apr 2th, 2009. Because this involves your company name or trade mark so we inform you in no time. we would like to confirm if this company is your partner, subsection or some one you authorized, if it is not, pls inform us if these domain names and internet keyword are important to you and it is necessary to protect them by registering them first or not, thanks for your cooperation, looking forward to your reply.
and
We are Beijing Invees Network Science and Technology Co.,Ltd which is the domain name register center in China. We received a formal application from a company who is applying to register “balidreamingptyltd” as their domain name and Internet keyword on May 14 2008. Because this involved your company name or trade marks so we inform you in no time. If you consider these domain names and internet keywords important to you and necessary to protect them by registering them ahead,please contact us as soon as possible.
The Australian Domain Name Administrator ("auDA") issued a warning on 29 April 2009 based on advice that authorities in Hong Kong are investigating at least one of the companies sending these emails.
The auDA views the claims made in these emails are most likely false and misleading, and we advise people to disregard them.
auDA is aware that at least two companies apparently based in China and Hong Kong have been sending unsolicited emails to people with .au domain names, attempting to mislead them into registering their name in a number of Asian domain spaces.
The auDA does not have jurisdiction to handle complaints about these emails, as they do not involve the registration of .au domain names.
If you have received such an email or are concerned about protecting your domain name or business email us.