Beware Domain Appraisal Scams

Back in March of last year I wrote a post about a domain appraisal scam that has been running for years confusing and cheating new investors out of their hard earned money. Since then my post has seen 228 comments most sharing specific emails these scammers use to fool domain owners into sending them money for, well, nothing.

I think it’s a good idea to revisit this post every year for anyone that isn’t familiar with this scam so that I can help more people avoid it. The scam has been running for years and seems to be picking-up pace given the increased volume of comments I’ve seen lately.

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Here’s how the scam works. Out of the blue you get an email from someone who typically says they are interested in buying a domain you own for some very reasonable amount of money. You get excited, being celebrating, do your happy dance, and tell all your family and friends.

All the “interested buyer” (aka scammer) needs is an official appraisal from a very specific domain appraisal site. The appraisal can be anywhere from $50-$100 and since you think this is the only step between you and a monster sale, you pay for it without thinking. That’s when the scammer disappears into the ether and you’re left $100 poorer and pretty darn disappointed and angry.

So if you someone emails an offer on one of your domains and insists on getting an appraisal from some site you’ve never heard of, head for the hills, it’s a scam and over time we can all stop these scammers by spreading the word and helping other people not fall prey to these tactics.

If you have recently been contacted by a scammer please share the name and email address they used in this or my previous post about this topic. Together we can help others avoid this scam and make life as hard as possible for the people perpetuating it.

Morgan Linton

Morgan Linton