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Scam emails about your website

Domain renewal notices, SEO warnings and listing invoices. If something lands demanding money about your website, this is how to tell whether it is real.

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Telling a scam from a real invoice

How to tell a scam website invoice from a real oneSigns of a scamUrgent deadlineCompany you do not knowAsks for card detailsMentions your domain nameCalls itself an invoice or noticeOdd sender addressWhat we actually doWe invoice you directlyWe never ask for card detailsby emailIn doubt? Forward it to usbefore paying anything.
If anything about it feels urgent and unfamiliar, it almost certainly is. Forward it to us before you pay it.

What to do when one arrives

Thirty seconds of checking saves a lot of bother.

1

Do not click anything

Not the link, not the unsubscribe button. Clicking confirms the address is live and you will get more.

2

Check who sent it

Look at the actual email address, not the display name. A real invoice from us comes from our own domain.

3

Ask whether you are expecting it

We tell you in advance about renewals. An invoice out of nowhere, with a deadline on it, is the giveaway.

4

Forward it to us

Send it to hello@ne1webdesign.co.uk and we will tell you within the working day whether it is genuine.

5

Delete it

Once we have confirmed it is a scam, delete it and carry on. No reply, no engagement.

The ones doing the rounds

These are the scams our clients see most often.

  • Domain renewal notices. Official looking, with a deadline, from a company you have never dealt with. Your domain is renewed through us.
  • Search engine submission fees. Nobody needs to pay to be listed on Google. The whole service is invented.
  • SEO warnings. An automated email claiming your rankings are about to collapse. It is a sales email with a scare attached.
  • Directory listing invoices. Sent as though you already agreed to it. You did not.
  • Copyright image threats. A demand about a photo on your site. Occasionally genuine, so forward it rather than ignoring it.
  • Fake hosting suspension notices. Threatening to take the site down today. Your hosting is with us, and we would ring you.

Common questions

I have already paid one. What now?

Ring your bank straight away and tell us. Acting within a day or two gives the best chance of getting it back.

How do they know about my domain?

Domain records are partly public. It is not a sign your site has been hacked.

Will you ever email me asking for card details?

No. We invoice you directly and we never ask for card details by email.

Can you stop them arriving?

We can tighten the spam filtering, but some always get through. Knowing what to look for is the real defence.

What if I am not sure?

Forward it. We would far rather check twenty genuine emails than have you pay one that is not.