Key takeaways
- Fake domain renewal notices look like invoices but come from companies you’ve never dealt with. Many sell a different domain, not a renewal.
- In 2018 the Federal Court ordered two companies to pay $1.95 million after they sent about 300,000 notices that looked like renewal invoices.
- Check three things: the exact domain name, who sent it, and your real expiry date.
- Find your real registrar in WHOIS, and only pay through the account you already use.
A domain renewal scam is a letter or email that looks like a renewal invoice for your website address, but isn’t from your registrar. Often it’s selling a similar domain you don’t need, at several times the normal price. To spot one, check the exact domain, the sender, and your real expiry date before you pay anything.
These notices have been around for years because they work. They arrive looking official, with a due date and a payment slip, and land on a busy person’s desk.
What does a fake domain renewal notice look like?
Scamwatch describes letters with “the appearance of an invoice or renewal notice”, including credit card logos, a tear-off payment slip and sometimes barcodes (Scamwatch, 19 December 2016). The trick is in the detail. The letter is often for a new domain that looks almost the same as yours, such as .com instead of .com.au.
Scamwatch is blunt about it: “.com” and “.com.au” names “are different and are not interchangeable”. Paying for one doesn’t renew the other. The ACCC received over 100 complaints from small businesses about these letters in 2016 alone.
Has anyone been penalised for these notices?
Yes. In June 2018, the Federal Court ordered Domain Corp Pty Ltd and Domain Name Agency Pty Ltd to pay combined penalties of $1.95 million (ACCC, 15 June 2018). Between November 2015 and at least April 2017, they sent about 300,000 unsolicited notices to businesses.
The notices looked like renewal invoices for the businesses’ existing domains. They were actually for registering a new domain, at $249 to $275. Businesses paid the companies about $2.3 million. The court found the notices were misleading and deceptive. Under the orders, any future notices from those companies must state: “This is not a bill. You are not required to pay any money”. If you see wording like that, it’s an offer, not a renewal.
For comparison, VentraIP advertised .com.au domains at $24.95 a year when we checked on 13 November 2026 (VentraIP). Our guide to domain renewal price rises explains what a fair renewal looks like.
What are the tell-tale signs of a fake?
Scamwatch’s own checklist boils down to three questions (Scamwatch):
- Does the notice match your current domain name exactly?
- Is it from the company you originally registered the domain with?
- Is your domain actually due for renewal, according to your own records?
Watch for emails too. One long-running version claims a company overseas wants to register your name, and you must pay to stop it. Scamwatch has warned about those offers since 2013 (Scamwatch, 19 February 2013).
How do you check who your real registrar is?
Look up your domain in WHOIS. For .au domains, use the auDA WHOIS. It shows the registrar of record, the company that actually manages your domain. For .com and other global domains, use ICANN Lookup, which also shows the expiry date.
For a .au domain, auDA’s password recovery tool can confirm your expiry date (auDA). If the company on the notice isn’t your registrar or the reseller you signed up with, don’t pay it.
What should you do if you get one?
- Don’t pay, click or call the number on it. Log in to your registrar account the way you normally do.
- Check the domain and expiry date there. Renew through that account if it’s genuinely due.
- Tell whoever pays the bills. Scamwatch suggests clear procedures for checking and paying invoices, and limiting who can approve payments.
- Report it. Report scams to Scamwatch, and business email fraud through cyber.gov.au (Scamwatch, 4 April 2024).
Fake invoices are a big problem beyond domains. Australians lost $166.8 million to payment redirection scams in 2025 (ACCC, 30 March 2026).
What if you’ve already paid?
Contact your bank straight away and ask about stopping or reversing the payment. Then check your real domain is still active and renewed. If you paid for a domain you didn’t need, it may simply expire later. Our guide on what happens when a .com.au domain expired explains the timeline if your real domain lapsed in the confusion.
How do you stop worrying about renewal notices?
Keep all your domains with one provider, turn on auto-renew, and know your renewal price. Then any other “renewal” letter is obviously not yours. Our renew domain name guide takes five minutes.
That’s the idea behind domain renewals without surprises at WMS: keep your domains in one account, so every genuine renewal comes from one place. Our domain security page covers other ways to keep your domains safe.
Ready to tidy things up? Register your domain with WMS or bring your existing names across.
Frequently asked questions
Is a domain renewal letter in the post a scam?
Not always, but be careful. Most registrars send renewal reminders by email to the contact on your account. A posted letter from a company you don’t recognise is a strong warning sign. Check the domain name, sender and expiry date against your registrar account before paying anything.
How much should a .com.au renewal cost?
Most Australian providers charge roughly $20 to $45 a year for a .com.au, and the wholesale price set by auDA is $9.50 a year excluding GST. A notice asking for $249 or more, like those in the 2018 ACCC case, is far outside that range.
How do I find out who my domain is registered with?
Search your domain in WHOIS. For .au domains, use auDA’s WHOIS at whois.auda.org.au, which shows the registrar of record. For .com and other global domains, use ICANN Lookup. If you signed up through a reseller, your account may be with them rather than the registrar shown.
Where do I report a domain renewal scam?
Report it to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au. If it involved business email compromise or a hacked account, also report it through cyber.gov.au. If you’ve paid, contact your bank immediately. Warning colleagues and whoever handles your accounts helps stop a second payment.
Sources
- Domain Name Corp and Domain Name Agency to pay $1.95 million in penalties, ACCC, 15 June 2018
- Beware of unsolicited domain name registration offers, Scamwatch, 19 December 2016
- Domain name renewals: don’t be dot conned!, Scamwatch, 12 July 2007
- Think carefully about unsolicited offers to register domain names overseas, Scamwatch, 19 February 2013
- Scam alert: Fake business invoice scams, Scamwatch, 4 April 2024
- Continued action critical to combat fraud as annual scam losses exceed $2 billion, ACCC, 30 March 2026
- Renewing your domain licence, auDA, accessed 13 November 2026
- Domain name pricing, VentraIP, accessed 13 November 2026
- Wholesale .au domain pricing, auDA, accessed 13 November 2026