You might have received one of the most clever (if unethical) sales letters ever. It looks like this.

We’ve had a handful of clients at J&R Marketing call in this week saying they received a bill from the US Domain Authority. The letter says that their web domain is about to expire and they owe $290 to renew it. The letter looks like any other bill. It’s in an envelope complete with a return address for easy bill payment. It has a website to go to for online payments. 

Except it’s not a bill. All of that setup was to trick you into paying money, but it’s actually a sales letter for a directory service. My first reaction when seeing this letter was to check if this was a real company. I went to the website they had listed on the flyer. The FAQ page provides us with the most relevant information, so I’ve included a screenshot of it.

This FAQ page confirms that this isn’t a bill, but actually clever advertising. Sometimes figuring out a scam isn’t as cut and dry. Use your best judgement. If it looks like a scam and it sounds like a scam, it is a scam. If you know your domain expires in 2025, don’t pay a bill that says your domain is expiring now. Google is your friend, so if you aren’t sure you can look it up. 

In short, you don’t need to pay anything. You can completely toss and ignore the letter. If you read the letter carefully, you’ll see fine print that says “You are under no obligation to pay the amount stated above unless you accept this offer.” 

Let’s talk about why it’s clever. Yes, this is borderline a scam to trick you into paying for a directory listing. However, they openly admit (even if it is in the fine print) that they aren’t selling domains or domain renewal. They are actually selling a service, albeit in a sketchy way. 

Just remember to carefully look at any bills you receive before paying them. If you have any marketing or website questions, contact me through my website here.