At first, I didn’t mind because I thought that these guys are just trying to make some money. And then more and more “offers” started arriving for other domain names that I own. And it started getting annoying.

Here’s the email that they send:

We are selling the domain name {your-domain-name}.com.  Since you own {your-domain-name}.org if you would also like the more desirable .com we are making it available.  The cost is $99.97.  That includes a year of registration and transfer of ownership to you.  To purchase or to learn more go to:

http://www.{theirwebsite}.com/checkout.php?domain={your-domain-name}.com

If you pass on this opportunity someone else could purchase this domain and it may not be available again. For questions contact us or go to:

http://www.{theirwebsite}.com/faq.html

If you are not interested there is no need to respond.  We will not contact you again regarding this domain.

Almost a hundred bucks for a domain name that they registered for $7.00. They use the email address domains@dcinchq.com to send this spam offer.

So what do you do?

• If you don’t have time in your hands, just mark the message as spam and add the sender to your blocked list.
• If you are bored and you want some entertainment, write back to them and ask for information that answer bots are unlikely to answer. For example, ask for details like how to pay, how long is the registration for, how will the domain name be transferred, how you can be assured that they will indeed transfer the domain name, etc. Ask short questions but demand long answers.  The objective is to waste their time and have fun. You won’t be wasting yours because you’re bored and have nothing better to do, remember?

I used to do this to Nigerian 419 scammers, back when I had nothing else to do. I’d actually get them to send me documents like scanned copies of their passport, driver’s license, etc. as proof that they are legitimate individuals that I can “do business with”. Sure, those documents were probably fake, but that’s not the point. The point is they spent some time to prepare those documents. And for what? N-O-T-H-I-N-G. I was hoping that f they get nothing from their scamming efforts, they’d do something else, something honest.

I think the same thing goes for these spam offers. If you have time to kill, have fun with these spammers!

Indeed, it was spam, but judging from the flurry of email activity that followed the spam message, it was a cleverly contrived spam.

A few minutes after I received the spam, I received another email, this time from a Chinese guy who wrote “I don’t understand” in Chinese. It was sent to domain@worldswidedomainname.com, CC: info@worldswidedomainname.com. It was followed by 20-30 more email messages from people on the list, mostly with cursing and threatening (like it would scare Big Boy Alex).

What I Think Is Happening
Since there were no other visible recipients in the email from the Chinese guy, except domain@worldswidedomainname.com and info@worldswidedomainname.com, and it was unlikely that the Chinese guy would know my email address, I figured that either or both of these email addresses are set up as mailing lists, which automatically forward any message they receive to the email addresses on the list.

It looks like this Alex Shafts guy (or whatever his real name is) set up the mailing lists to forward email messages to hundreds, possibly even thousands, of email addresses. Since the email address at which I am receiving these messages is one of the email addresses that I use for my domain names’s WHOIS records, I figured Alex the Clown scraped the email addresses from WHOIS records.

People Are Still Replying
Until now, people on the list are still replying to the mailing lists, begging to stop the spam. In return, others are responding that they are not the ones sending spam. One guy even CCd a couple of co-workers (who weren’t on the list) and asked if their company was involved in a domain deal. This unintentional spamming will go on for days, I think, until people realize what’s happening.

What You Can Do
If you’re also receiving these spam mails, here are a few things that I suggest you can do:

• Please help stop the spam cycle by not replying to any of these email messages.
• Set up an email filter rule that junks or permanently deletes any message that contains “worldswidedomainname.com” or other keywords that you have seen in the spam messages.
• Alternatively, close the email account at which you’re receiving the spam messages. If you’re using that email address for your WHOIS records, remember to update your WHOIS records with your new email address.
• Spread the word to other affected domainers that replying will perpetuate the spam cycle.

What Does Alex Shaft Get From This?
I’m not entirely sure, but a lawsuit will probably be one of them. Maybe Little Alex just wants to make a name in the domaining industry. Maybe it gets him off, knowing that he’s annoying a lot of people. I really don’t know. If and when I do, I’ll tell you. Promise.

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Subject: Notice Regarding Your DOMAIN NAME
From: “Domain Name Support”
Date: Tue, October 28, 2008 5:16 am
To: domain@worldswidedomainname.com

*****************************************
Important Notice Regarding Your Domain Name(s)
*****************************************

Dear Webmaster,

According to our records you are the ADMINISTRATIVE CONTACT.

We would like to inform you we have partnered up with LunarPages Web Hosting. We understand you are currently hosting with another provider. But we encourage you to try out LunarPages. LunarPages also has an affiliation program where you can embed banners on your website and earn $65 for every referral.

A little more information about LunarPages; Lunarpages Web Hosting was born from Add2Net in 2000, and has grown rapidly providing Shared Hosting, Dedicated, Reseller, and most recently, VPS Hosting Plans. LunarPages is BBB Accredited and is rated A for excellence. LunarPages also has received many Industry Awards including Web Host Magazines highest level of recommendation. LunarPages is one of the fewest hosting services that provide unlimited transfer and unlimited data storage.

LunarPages can fit your business needs whether you’re a small business or a large company. Join (or lurk about) Community Forums and ask our customers why they host with LunarPages. For more in depth information, news and articles about Web Hosting, Marketing, SEO, Traffic, AdWords, Design, Networking and General Fluff, visit Lunartics Blog (updated daily, sometimes hourly). Our BlogStars consist of a team of more than 20+ industry experts. You may learn something, or simply be entertained.

VISIT LUNARPAGES

If you’re not ready to give LunarPages “Web Hosting” a try just yet, TRY the affiliation program where you can earn hundreds or even thousands a month. Save this email for your records and click the link above for special promos throughout the year.

Best Regards,
Alex Shafts, CEO
World Wide Domain Names

If you are the domain administrator of more than one domain account, you may receive this notice multiple times.
——————————————————————-
All rights reserved.

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