Don’t Fall for the “Domain Listing” Scam
It arrives in the church’s stack of mail. A professional envelope, sometimes with an official-looking window. Inside, a form with your church’s name and website address printed at the top. Words like “URGENT,” “NOTICE,” and “EXPIRATION” are printed in bold letters, warning that “your domain listing is about to expire.” The form demands you pay a fee—often several hundred dollars—to ensure your website remains listed and accessible.
It looks like a bill. It feels urgent. And it is a complete scam.
This is a deceptive marketing tactic designed to scare you into paying for a worthless service. The “domain listing” these companies are selling has absolutely no impact on your actual website or its presence on the internet. Here’s what you need to know to protect your church’s resources.
What This Letter Is (and What It Isn’t)
This letter is not a bill for your actual domain name registration. Paying it will not keep your website online.
These companies are selling a “listing” in their own private, obscure online directory. Think of it as paying someone $250 to have your church’s name put into their personal address book—it has no value and doesn’t affect your actual website hosting or domain registration in any way. All the big search engines (Google, Bing, etc) will find your website on their own. This “service” is nothing but a worthless scam to scare you.
The scam works by confusing this worthless “listing” service with the essential “registration” service that connects your domain name (e.g., www.firstchurchoftown.org) to the internet.
How to Spot the Scam: 5 Red Flags
Train yourself and your office staff to look for these tell-tale signs:
- The Wrong Wording: The notice will use vague terms like “Domain Listing,” “Website Listing,” or “Annual Domain Directory.” A legitimate bill will use the specific term “Domain Registration Renewal.” This is the biggest giveaway.
- An Unfamiliar Company Name: The letter will be from a company you don’t recognize, like “Domain Registry of America,” “US Domain Authority,” or something similar—but it won’t be from the company you actually used to buy your domain (your registrar).
- An Outrageous Price: The “bill” is often for $150, $250, or more. A standard one-year domain registration renewal typically costs between $15 and $30.
- No Prior Relationship: You will likely receive this notice out of the blue via postal mail. Your actual registrar (like GoDaddy, Namecheap, Hostinger, Google Domains, etc.) will almost always communicate with you via the email address on file first. If you are not the one who set up the domain, then you are unlikely to be the one to get the bill.
- The Fine Print: Somewhere on the page, often on the back or in very small text, you will find the legally required disclaimer: “THIS IS NOT A BILL. THIS IS A SOLICITATION.”
What You Should Do Instead
If you receive one of these letters, the process is simple:
- Step 1: Check with Whoever Handles Your Website. Before doing anything, forward the letter or describe it to the person or team that manages your church’s website (this might be a staff member, a volunteer, or an outside company). They will be familiar with your domain registration and can confirm if the notice is legitimate.
- Step 2: Identify Your Real Domain Registrar. If you’re unsure who handles your website, try to recall who you paid when you initially set up the site or renewed the domain in the past. This is the only company you should ever pay for your domain registration.
- Step 3: Check Your Real Expiration Date. If you’re concerned, log in to your account with your actual registrar to see when your domain expires. Your website manager should be able to provide these login details or give you this information.
- Step 4: Shred the Letter. It’s junk mail. Feel free to throw it directly into the recycling bin.
- Step 5: Warn your church office. Be sure to inform anyone in your church office who handles mail and finances about this scam.
By knowing what to look for and verifying any unusual notices with the person managing your website, you can easily spot this deceptive practice and be a good steward of the resources God has entrusted to your ministry.
If you receive one of these notices and are still unsure about its legitimacy, please feel free to reach out to me directly. I’m always happy to help churches with these kinds of issues.
Help protect other ministries! Share this post with other churches and non-profits who might be targeted by this scam. I have personally spoken with many churches who were unknowingly paying these scam fees for years.
