Phishing refers to trying obtain information from your by posing as a trustworthy entity.  With domains phishing refers to trying to obtain your domain through the other entity’s registrar.  Communication for these solicitations can come both via snail mail and via email, so we want to be sure you are aware of them so your don’t loose your domain.  Below is an example of a domain phishing letter from Domain Registry of America.

In this example Domain Registry of America (DR0A) is stating that your domain is coming up for renewal and it gives the date of domain expiration.  They go on to tell you that without renewing your domain you could loose it and loose your online identity along with it.  While this is very true, most times when you register a domain the registrar that you used (GoDaddy, Network Solutions, etc.) is going to be the one that you get this type of notice from.  At its most basic this is just a scheme to try and get you to move your domain from one business to another, when a lot of times it is not necessary.

There are many places you can go online to check the whois information of your domain some of them include:

• MXToolBox.com – enter your domain name, and click mx lookup.  Then choose whois lookup for the whois information for your domain.
• GoDaddy – enter your domain to get the whois information for your domain.
• Network Solutions – enter your domain to get the whois information for your domain.

The whois record for your domain shows a few key things.  1) The domain registrar.  2) The registrant contact.  This will most times be either you or your host.  3) The administrative, billing, and technical contacts for the domain.  Again usually either you or your host.

Most times when a domain is registered through your hosting company they control that domain and renew it automatically for you.  If ever you have a question about where your domain is registered, call your hosting company and they should be able to put you on the right track, even if the domain is not registered with them.

If you have any questions about registering a domain please give us a call: 207-262-5040, or email us at sales@sephone.com.