An email warns that your website’s domain is about to expire, and your site will go dark unless you renew through the enclosed link today. It carries a registrar’s logo and an invoice-style total. But if it did not come from the company you actually registered with, paying it hands money — and your domain — to a scammer. Our GetMyPassword team explains how to recognize a domain renewal scam.
How the scam works
Because domain ownership records are often public, scammers can see which sites are nearing renewal and who owns them. They send an official-looking “renewal notice” or invoice — by email or even postal mail — pressuring you to renew immediately through their link to avoid losing your domain and website. The link leads to a fake payment page that takes your card details, or to a service that “transfers” your domain to them at an inflated price. Some are dressed as a different registrar than the one you use, betting you will not notice. The expiry threat is the pressure; your payment and domain are the prize.
Red flags to watch for
- A renewal notice from a company that is not your actual registrar.
- Urgency — renew today or lose your domain and site.
- A payment link in the email rather than your registrar’s own dashboard.
- An inflated price or a “transfer” framed as a renewal.
- Slightly off sender addresses or domains mimicking a real provider.
How to verify a real renewal
The simplest defense is to know who your registrar actually is and to manage renewals only through your account on their official site — not a link in an email. Log in directly to check your domain’s real expiry date and renew there. Be suspicious of any notice from a company you do not recognize, and compare the sender against your registrar’s real address. Consider turning on auto-renew and registrar privacy so your details are not broadcast. A renewal you can only complete through an emailed link, from a provider you never signed up with, is a scam.
You renew a domain where you bought it, by logging in yourself — not through a link from a registrar you have never used. If the notice and your real provider do not match, it is a scam wearing an invoice.
How to protect yourself
Renew domains only through your registrar’s official site by logging in yourself, and ignore renewal links in unsolicited emails. Know your renewal dates, consider auto-renew, and enable domain privacy to limit exposure. If you paid a scammer, dispute the charge and check that your domain was not transferred. Protect your registrar and email accounts — which control your domain — with two-factor authentication and a unique password from our password generator.
Frequently asked questions
Is a domain renewal notice a scam?
A renewal notice from a company that is not your actual registrar, pressuring you to pay through its link to avoid losing your domain, is a common scam. Real renewals are managed through your registrar’s official account, not an emailed link.
How do I check my real domain renewal?
Log in directly to your registrar’s official website to see your domain’s real expiry date and renew there. Do not use links in unsolicited notices, and be suspicious of any notice from a provider you do not recognize.
What if I already paid a fake renewal?
Dispute the charge with your card issuer, confirm with your real registrar that the domain was not transferred, and lock the domain if possible. Secure your registrar and email accounts with strong, unique passwords and two-factor authentication.