Domain Submission Center scam
June 2nd, 2008
The Domain Submission Center scam is a combination on a tried and true domain renewal scam and the search engine submissions scam.
The domain renewal scam is based on a notice asking you to renew your domain. Instead you transfer your domain at extra fees from your existing registrar to the scammer. Very dangerous. They have your money and control of your domain.
The search engine submission scam is charging for submission to search engines. The last time search engine submission was useful is 2002 - at best. At this point, search engines find your site on their own. If they can't, and you choose to submit your website, you get automatic spamsite points. I.e. the service at best doest nothing, and at worst damages your chances of getting spidered and ranked.
To submit your website to a search engine what you should do instead is get a link to your new website from a well-ranked and well-spidered existing site. Getting that link could be as simple as commenting on that post. Usually it's better to get at least a few, in case Google doesn't get around to spidering one or the other high ranked pages for a few weeks (unlikely, but possible).
Domain Submission Center is based out of Toronto. Thornhill to be exact.
Here is their address:
Domain Submission Center Inc.
1054 Centre Street - Suite 284
Thornhill, ON L4J 8E5
Canada
Here is their email:
If anyone in Toronto has time to stop by and find out what kind of unethical people are running Domain Submission Center I'd like to post their photograph and their names here.
Here is the full Domain Submission Center scam letter:
domain submission center
Note the very, very fine print at the bottom:
By accepting this offer you agree not to hold DSC liable in any part. This is NOT an invoice/bill and you are not obligated to pay unless you wish to order the above named services. The information listed here is intended for the named above person(s) or company. Email if you do not wish to receive further updates from DSC. The information contained in this letter is confidential and/or legally privileged information. The information contained in this letter is only intended for the person(s) or company named above. You are hereby notified that disclosure, copying, distribution or any action in reliance on the contents of this letter is prohibited. 100% satisfaction, you may request a refund if you are not satisfied within 30 days.
That skimpy notice is what keeps them legal in Canada - barely.
Notice that they ask only for cheques. There is no way to pay online. Why not? As Domain Submission Center would be banned from most online payment gateways. Amazing that they can push the crooked cheques through Canadian banks. Sometimes you really are safer online.
I imagine Domain Submission Center gets anywhere between 2% and 5% response rates from the naive new webmasters who get these notices. A very profitable scam. But highly unethical.
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