Is this a scam? Internet Keyword Registrar?

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vixeng

Joined: Jul 30, 2007

# Posts: 3

Posted: 07/30/2007 02:14 am

This is what I got sent today. Stupidly I replied to it informing the company we already had registered .co. and .com domain names. I'm a bit confused about this forum. Mixed messages. So should I ignore it or do something about it?

We are Beijing Inwis Networks Science and Technology Co., Ltd, which is the authorized domain name service center in China. We received a formal application from a company who is called Bicheng Investment(China) Co.,Ltd are applying to register " XXXXXXXXXXXXXX " as their domain names and Internet keyord on July 27th 2007. Because this involved your company name or trade marks even the Intellectual property rights so we inform you in no time. If you considered these domain names and internet keywords are important to you and there was necessary to protect them by registering them first. Please note that our center will absolutely not undertake the responsibility of your domain name or trademark be sold or reused for the third party, which be caused by your neglect, delays or misses the notification that from our center, contact us to confirm this issue as soon as possible. please,
Kind Regards,
Charlie. Ji

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vixeng

Joined: Jul 30, 2007

# Posts: 3

Posted: 07/30/2007 02:14 am

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vixeng

Joined: Jul 30, 2007

# Posts: 3

Posted: 07/30/2007 02:14 am

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kaulbr

Joined: Mar 15, 2006

# Posts: 275

Posted: 07/30/2007 06:52 am

Ignore it. It's garbage.

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ovensheen

Joined: Aug 08, 2007

# Posts: 1

Posted: 08/08/2007 02:05 am

I have received this email today - can someone please make head or tail of this and let me know what i should do. Is this a scam

Dear Oven Sheen.:
We are Beijing Inwis Networks Science and Technology Co., Ltd, which is the authorized domain name service center in China. We received a formal application from a company who is called Bicheng Investment(China) Co.,Ltd are applying to register " ovensheen " as their domain names and Internet keyword on August 7th 2007. Because this involved your company name or trade marks even the Intellectual property rights so we inform you in no time. If you considered these domain names and internet keywords are important to you and there was necessary to protect them by registering them first. Please note that our center will absolutely not undertake the responsibility of your domain name or trademark be sold or reused for the third party, which be caused by your neglect, delays or misses the notification that from our center, contact us to confirm this issue as soon as possible. please, Kind Regards,

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Dinkar

Moderator

Joined: Aug 12, 2001

# Posts: 4268

Website

Posted: 08/08/2007 02:28 am

just ignore it.

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bill_

Joined: Jun 27, 2004

# Posts: 13

Posted: 08/19/2007 05:28 am

This is a scam.

Do not be confused about the message.

They use WhoIs to find you. They visit your website and pull a few keywords to use in their mail. Then they send you a "very convincing" e-mail that would appeal to any domain administrator. ("Oh no, someone in China is after our trademark/brand name!" )

If you reply to them they will register these names and charge you exorbitant rates to register them via their service...all the while pretending that they saved you from some non-existent domain predator. Even if they charged you reasonable rates you should NEVER USE a registrar that contacts you via unsolicited mail (read SPAM mail). EVER!

If you're concerned about the domains go to the CNNIC website and check their WhoIs: http://ewhois.cnnic.net.cn/
If the name isn't registered and you want the name, then find an accredited domain registrar on the CNNIC English site: http://cnnic.net.cn/en/index/
If for some reason the offending registrar can be found on the list DO NOT USE THEM! Find one you know or at least one with a respectable level of English and use them.

[ Message was edited by: bill_ 08/19/2007 09:03 am ]

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bill_

Joined: Jun 27, 2004

# Posts: 13

Posted: 09/11/2007 12:12 am

Here's another example of this scam that I just received:

Dear Manager

We are the ShanghHai LongYu Information Technology Co.Ltd.which is a professional domain name registration and service company in China.On,10th Sept.,our company receive the DiLong International Ltd company's application that they want to register the "name of company" as their Internet Brand and CC domain name,but after our confirmation,we found this name will conflict with your company's name, so we send you email and want to confirm with you whether you have authorized the DiLong International company to register. According to the Internet domain name register principle that the domain name is "openly registration" and "first register,first obtain". We need to get your company's confirmation within the following 5 days.For any question, please let your company's charger contact us in time.Thanks! Looking forward to hearing from you .

Yours sincerely Bray

Bray Wu
Chinese Internet Service company:
ShanghHai LongYu Information Technology Co.Ltd
Tel:+86(0)21-6427 8367
Fax:+86(0)21-6427 1117
Email:Bray@longyu.org.cn

If you don't want to get the similar mail,please send your E-mail to the this mail address web@longyu.org.cn and notify "the rescission",thanks!

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bill_

Joined: Jun 27, 2004

# Posts: 13

Posted: 10/12/2007 01:28 am

Another scam example from China Net Technology Limited:

Dear CEO,

We are the domain name registration organization in China, which mainly deal with international company's in china. We have something important need to confirm with your company.

On the Oct 11, 2007, we received an application formally. One company named "Microinfo International Holdings Ltd" wanted to register following Domain names:

example.cc
example.hk
example.mobi
example.tw
example.sh

Internet brand keyword:

example

through our body.

After our initial examination, we found that the keywords and domain names applied for registration are as same as your company's name and trademark. These days we are dealing with it. If you do not know this company, we doubt that they have other aims to buy these domain names. Now we have not finished the registration of Microinfo company yet, in order to deal with this issue better, Please contact us by telephone or email as soon as possible.

Best Regards,

Scott Liu
_________________________________________________________________________

Sponsoring Registrar: China Net Technology Limited
Tel:+852-3059 3057
Fax:+852-3059 3089
Email: scott@netinchina.hk
Website: www.netinchina.hk

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lhopkins

Joined: Mar 25, 2008

# Posts: 1

Posted: 03/25/2008 09:25 am

I am so glad I found this forum. You have confirmed for me what I felt in my gut, but I still felt a bit uneasy about what they were saying. Unfortunately, I did respond to their email so I guess they we will selling off our email address soon as another poster pointed out.

Apparently, they have also changed up their letter too. I have provided it below.

I have been scammed before with other things so I'm pretty skeptical now, but they did get the best of me at first. Their website www.mergov.cn looks professional enough and there is indeed a FEID Investment Company website at: www.25ok.com.cn/index.htm. Of course I couldn't say whether either were real and I did find it odd that FEID didn't have FEID.com.cn or cn. (which both are for sale)

I also found it odd that their letter said they had an application "pending", yet when I went to godaddy.com to check out the two domains in question, it said they were available. So I figured it must be some kind of scam, but couldn't figure out the "catch". I didn't see them getting rich on the domain names, but I thought maybe they were after our company credit card number.

We don't ever plan to expand into China and we have Trademarked our Trade name...... does anyone see any reason why we would need these china domains? If someone were trying to infringe on our trademark, they could simply register any other variation as they would be endless....

If I'm not mistaken....(please correct me if I'm wrong), Google has a form that you can submit to advise them on Trademark infringement for registered trademarks so they can review and possibly ban offending websites????

Anyway, thanks so much for this forum. This person (aka Leo Wang) has literally contacted us about 10 times, each time my confidence rising that it was a scam and now you have solidified it for me! THANKS AGAIN!

Best Regards,
Lynn

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Dear Sir or Madam:

Please forward this email to the person who is responsible for trademark. This is auditing department of China Network domain name registration ,a branch of Merit Technology Ltd.We are the professional organization for network service. On 5th Mar .2008,we received an online registration application for www.spasentiments.cn&.com.cn&.asia domain names and internet keyword from an investment company named FEID.
However,after our audit department checking,we found that this is conflict with your company`s domain name www.spasentiments.com and internet keyword spa ,you are the original owner , so I send you this E-mail to confirm if you have any objection to FEID`s application.The auditing period is limited,so please ask the responsible person to contact us as soon as possible.

Best regards
Leo Wang
leo@mergov.cn

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quinine

Joined: Apr 03, 2008

# Posts: 3

Posted: 04/09/2008 07:16 am

Did anyone else find it midly amusing that their name China Internet Network Information Center（CNNIC) should actually have the accronym CINIC?

From one midly amused cynic.

Q.

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bill_

Joined: Jun 27, 2004

# Posts: 13

Posted: 04/22/2008 02:10 am

An amusing scam from Beijing HKZC Networks Science and Technology Co., Ltd. Notice the new Confidentiality Statement they add to the end to dissuade people publicizing their fraud... LOL

Dear EXAMPLE CO,

We received a formal application from a company who is called Meiao Investment Co.,Ltd(http://www.meiaoinv.cn) are applying to register "EXAMPLE KEYWORD/TRADEMARK" as their domain name and Internet keyword in China and also in Asia on Apr 21th 2008. During our auditing procedure we find out that the alleged Meiao Investment Co.,Ltd has no trade mark, brand nor patent even similar to that word. As authorized anti-cybersquatting organization we hereby suspect the alleged Meiao Investment Co.,Ltd to be a domain grabber. Hence we need you confirmation for two things.

First of all, whether this alleged Meiao Investment Co.,Ltd is your business partner or distributor in China.

Secondly, whether you are interested in registering these domains. (The alleged Meiao Investment Co.,Ltd will be entitled to obtain a domain not needed by original trademark owner.)

If you are not in charge of this please transfer this email to appr opriate dept.

This is a letter for confirmation. If the mentioned third party is your business partner or distributor in China please DO NOT reply. We will automatically confirm application from your business partner after this audit procedure.

Bst Rgs

Adam Wu

Auditing Commissioner

Beijing HKZC Networks Science and Technology Co., Ltd

Tel: +0086-10-82771675-602 +0086-10-82772510-602

Fax: +0086-10-82771640

Email:adam@bj-hkzc.com.cn

[link]

http://www.bj-hk.asia/

Confidentiality Statement:

The information in this email is confidential and may be legally privileged. It is intended solely for the addressee. Access to this email by anyone else is unauthorized. If you are not an intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, distribution, or other action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance on it, is prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this message in error please be advised of your obligation to immediately notify sender of the error in transmission, and to destroy all associated documentation.

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