Joho the Blog
An Entry from the Archives

I just did a web search on the 800 number, and there are lots and lots of folks getting and reporting the same info. Sounds definitely like a scam.

I too had a call and received a fax. Although the fax appears to attempting to falsely get me to "buy" a domain, it is regarding .us domains. Their website appears to be dedicated to registrering and hosting .us domains.

Same thing happened to me. Someone called and said they were updating my records and needed my e-mail address and fax number. I asked them what e-mail address they had. They said something like b*wilson@aol.com. I gave them my yahoo address and fax number. The next day I got a fax titled "URGENT NOTICE OF DOMAIN EXTENSION" with a request that I call them or someone might register the .us extension of my domain name. The notice also states "you may disregard this notice, ... [if you do] the licensing rights of this domain may be assigned to any other applicant." Duh.

Next time they call give them 202-456-2461 (Google that number if you want to be *in* on the joke)

Got a call today from Domain Registry Support (just like the others) wanting my info. Didn't give them anything and asked for their website. She (in a bad accent) gave two: www.domainregistrysupport.com and www.domainregistry.com. I told her that I just googled Domain Registry Support and it looks like your running a scam. She was surprised I "googled" her as she said "YOU GOOGLED ME?" and after a brief pause hung up!

I just got the same call. This guy, with a heavy accent, said he was 'Steve'...yah right! He gave me the same song and dance and I gave him NOTHING. He got angry with ME! He called ME in MY office and then got PO'd when I wouldn't answer any personal questions. Next time he calls, I'm reporting him to the DO NOT CALL registry...not that it will do any good...but then again...you never know!
DON'T GIVE THESE PEOPLE ANYTHING!! They're con artists.

I just recieved a simmilar fax with some legal language on it, asking me to call them back in 24 hours otherwise .us version of my domain name would be registered by someone else.
There is so much written about them and their scam on the internet. Just ignore it. I am hoping they won't spam fax me.

Just happened to me, I was stupid the first time and gave them a fax number. But lucky for me there are forums like this once I received the fax. I read in another forum we could gang up on them and keep calling their 1-800 number. Each call into them cost money. I plan on calling a few times a day. You can block your phone number for free on a call usually if you don't already have it blocked (call your local phone company to find out how). Their number is:
1-800-591-7398.

just got the same call from domain-registry-support.... the guy had a strong accent, and he was pushy - said he needed to update his database on me and that he needed my fax number - i told him to go to my website....then he told me to call 800-591-7398.... i think he was just fishing

Just got a call from a guy with a very thick accent named "Sam". He said he was with domain registry support and said they handled domain support for ALL domains. I said that's not true, there is no centralized service. He said I was taking the call "the wrong way" as this was not a sales call and tried to convince me that they were the centralized source for domain registry information. I protested. He hung up. I really hate scammers.

I just got a similar call and reported them to the "Do Not Call" registry. We'll see if that does any good.

Isn't google.com a wonderful thing. I received the call from a man asking for fax number. He had a heavy accent and when he said he was working for my domain provider, I asked him who my domain provider is and he said he did not have access to that information. I asked for company name: Domain Registration Support and the phone number: 800-591-7398 which I googled while he was on hold. I saw quite a few entries and picked up the line again, told him a google search states this is a scam and hung up. Thanks for the support!

I'm getting calls from these fools, too. It's surprising, since I registered my domain by proxy. But I used to have it under my own number and address.

Every time they've called (this latest call was the third or fourth one), I've refused to confirm anything and have asked repeatedly for their website information.

They tell me that "they're not selling anything." Yeah, right.

And they've hung up on me four times.

By way of introduction I am the "top guy" so to speak at DomainRegistry.com Inc., an ICANN accredited registrar that has been in business since 1996.

In searching for our company we found the above posts. Believe it or not, we also receive these
exact calls from "Domain Registry Support". That's right, we answer "DomainRegistry.com Inc." and they
launch right into their spiel. We have also heard that they give out our web address.

Because of the similarity of our name, we also get numerous complaint calls that mention a person with an Indian accent collecting information. People think we have called them - we don't do any telemarketing at all and we don't solicit anyone that isn't a customer of ours. (And for that matter we don't solicit our customers either).

To answer some of the questions above, this company *is* transferring names after collecting this info and we have had several cases of people who *complain to us* after this is done.

So to repeat, our address is:

http://www.DomainRegistry.com and this scheme has
nothing to do with our company.

Lastly, there is another company with a name similar to our name which I won't mention that sends out postal notices. This company was fined by the FTC in 2003 (December) for deceptive practices. Although I don't know for sure I believe this company is behind this scam. The reason I say this is because of the amount of complaint calls from companies that were transferred from their registrar we receive. And when they complain (to us thinking we are to blame) they usually mention a call they received at some point from a person with an Indian accent that said they were calling from "Domain Registry"

Got 2 calls within 20 minutes from them today. Told them that what they were telling me any one could get off Whois. If you want to get even with scammers like this just pretend you are very interested and keep them on line as long as you can. Tell them stuff like hold on I need to look this up in my on my computer and then give them bogus information. By keeping them on line in cuts into the time they can be scamming someone else. Another trick that is easier, is to tell them to hold on so you get a pencil and paper. Just set the phone down and check it about half hour later...

Same story, etc. etc. Got a call from "Steve" heavy accent , etc. etc. They are nothing but a SCAM!!! Here is the phone number to them 1.800.591.7398 from their website. I suggest that people call them and play them some really loud music. Tie up their phone lines.

Here is the Whois info on this guy: Some scammer at the UN.

Registration Service Provided By: NameCheap.com
Contact: support@NameCheap.com
Visit: http://www.namecheap.com/

Domain name: DOMAINREGISTRYSUPPORT.COM

Registrant Contact:
Sussman
M. Sussman (collectcallsecret@maktoob.com)
+506.8766550
Fax: +1.0000000
Suite 11521
Apartado 0832-1236
Panama Centro, WORLD TRADE CENTER 1236
PA

Administrative Contact:
Sussman
M. Sussman (collectcallsecret@maktoob.com)
+506.8766550
Fax: +1.0000000
Suite 11521
Apartado 0832-1236
Panama Centro, WORLD TRADE CENTER 1236
PA

Technical Contact:
Sussman
M. Sussman (collectcallsecret@maktoob.com)
+506.8766550
Fax: +1.0000000
Suite 11521
Apartado 0832-1236
Panama Centro, WORLD TRADE CENTER 1236
PA

Status: Locked

Name Servers:
ns1.mxhost.net
ns2.mxhost.net

Complaints can be filed against them at:
http://reports.internic.net/cgi/registrars/problem-report.cgi

You can use the following text and add to it if you like.

This company is making unsolicted phones calls claiming to be the domain registry support and said they handled domain support for ALL domains. They are asking for peoples phone numbers, addresses, fax numbers and/or email accounts, to verify information about their domains. For the unsuspecting, that give them that information, they receive via fax or mail or email a NOTICE of renewal for their domains in an attempt to transfer the domains to their service.

While talking to them, if you question them about who they are and what they are doing they get very angry and try to argue with you about not being a telemarketing company and eventually hang up on you.

On their website they claim to be ICANN accreddited, but they are not.

I would be very curious to find out EXACTLY who or what company is sending these faxes and where to contact them. Their address listed on the fax (which they confirmed with me on the phone) is not a valid address in NY. The zip code they use is not for Manhattan and my letter to them has been returned as "No longer at this address".

If you have info about 800-591-7398 or 888-248-9510 please post it or list a way to contact someone. Perhaps someone has already verified the WHOIS contact info listed above?

Thanks!

Those (*&(&*()**& sons of guns. Have had seven phone calls from them. Biggest scammers I have come across.

Had 2 calls within 30 minutes from them today after a hang up call from 866-383-0986. I told them to "F" off both times and the second time told the foreigner lady to go back to whatever country she's from and stop bothering me (she's probably already there, though, making the calls..). Maybe next time I'll let them know that I wish a bigger earthquake would hit their area of the world - bring all those jobs back to the U.S.

My dad got hit up by them, panicing him that his domain was about to expire (it won't until mid-2008) and trying to charge over $200 bucks. They've unfortunately got his fax number now...

Earlier, he got a phone call from a heavily accented woman, then man.

Skeevy outfit, for sure.

Got the call. Same set of tricks.

What I don't get is why do they focus so much energy on a $6.00 to $35.00 per year domain registration? I guess people will try anything on the Internet. Ever buy anything on ebay?

I got a call from these folks today. domainregistrysupport.com is domiciled in Panama: that’s why they’re not concerned about the US “Do Not Call” registry. The e-mail address of the owner is at maktoob.com, an Arabic website.

What do these criminals hope to achieve by gathering fax numbers? What advantage does it provide them?

Ok, I just got a call (July 28, 2006 @ 4:15 pm PST) from this number 866-383-0986 with Unknown Name on my caller ID. Again it was man with an accent saying he needed to confirm my domain (I don't have a domain). He didn't want a fax number though, he wanted my address! I told him he had the wrong number and he protested still when I told him to Remove Me from His Call List and I hanged up. So, he still wanted my address even though I didn't have a domain for him to verify and even though I told him he must have the wrong number.... Sounds very fishy. As my number is registered on the https://www.donotcall.gov/ registery, I promptly filed a complaint...

I just got a call from them twice in 30 minutes. The first one was from 866-383-0986 and the second was from 323-510-2661. Wanted my fax number to update my records.

I told them that I manage my domains online and hung up both times. After the second call I googled them and found this blog.

I just received a call as well
Caller ID Showed 866-383-0986

He asked about a domain I haven't had registered in 3 years (Just checked it is currently available)
I confirmed by name, then when he got to the mailing address I confirmed that (it's a p.o. box from 3 years ago...closed that when I closed the business) Then he asks about a fax number (I hadn't found this site yet...but was suspect from the start) I tell him I do not have a fax number so he then asks if I can just give him any fax number when I can receive faxes.
At this point I can hardly contain myself. I ask again for his company name and who they are
He tells me
Him: "Domain registry support, we support all domains worldwide" I said
Me: "Really? Then who do you work for?"
Him: "Domain Registry Support"
Me: "Not ICANN? But you support all domains worldwide?"
Him: "Yes"
Me: "Hmm...by support do you mean you can register domains and transfer domains and stuff like that?"
Him: "No, you are taking this call all wrong, we do not sell anything...we are only a support company for domains"
Me: "A company that doesn't sell anything...how does that work"
Him: "I just need a fax number"
Me: "You can't have one"
and that's when he hung up.

Again this was someone with an east indian accent and an americanized name.

Hi, I've been illegally using people website domain names and servers to spam other people in efforts to sell my products. Am I taking any chances in getting my domain names taken away from me? And the answer to the question is yes. What I do if find registered domains that I do not own, and I use their mail servers to send out spam for my product.

SCAMMERS, they got a friend of mine and when my friend told me about what was going on I quickly recongnized that is was a scam and told they to not pay, not the fraudulent company sent then to a collection agency, does anyone have any advise on how to handle these scammers and get them off the internet!

I did speak to a guy at the listed number:
1 800 591-7398. They were contacting me about my .com, not .us

He seemed pretty straightforward - even quoting the price as $35 a year to register with them.

He said he has worked with them for SIX years! When I asked if sending unsolicited faxes is illegal he said that if it were, they would not have been in business for six years.

Yes, it is a scam. i work for Domain Registry Support.

Oh well, too little too late, I fell for it in Aug of 2006 and now I have a .com domain name that they control and I can't get anyone to pickup the phone. They want the fax number so they send the damm fax. That keeps it from being 'Mail Fraud'.
Eric: at $35 a year with a min 5 year contract that's $140. Do that a lot and it pays.
John Smith: Playing music for them won't do anything, they can just hang up.
All I want is control of my domain name. Any ideas how to get a domain transfered when they have the 'No Transfer' flag set?

There are so many scams out there just becareful no matter what not to give out any personal information AT ALL. On eof our sites, it is just driving us crazy gets spammed so much. How can we figure out who is doing it? Anyone have an idea?

I suggest everyone who reads this blog send them a fax copy of all of the comments. Their fax number (actually listed on top of their spam-fax) is 888-248-9510.

i got the same call today (3/22/07). i got very suspicious and told them i don't have a fax machine. then i checked with my web hosting company and they said i have absolutely no problems with my domain. i googled for more info and sure enough, lots of people are complaining about this company, domain registry support.

Everyone call these bastards and leave the call overnight - I don't know if it costs them anything but your time is not free either. I noticed that their voicemail has a bug and it doesn't hang up after taking the message - I am leaving the call on overnight. Everyone if you can pelase do the same - let them go out of f..king business.

Follow up from Feb 22, 2007: Well I tried again to transfer my domain away from these guys. This time the phone number in the whois for my domain was no longer in service but the new number on their web site got me to the agent that handled the transfer in the first place. I was instructed to contact customerservice and they would take care of it within 48 hrs. I got nothing from them. Called again and this time cc:'d the agent. This time they did unlock the domain and provided the transfer codes neededwithin 24 hrs. The transfer has been completed and I hope I never hear from these guys again. I just wish I'd taken the time to check into this more before I screwed up in the first place. Good luck to anyone who falls into this trap as I did.

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