You may receive an email that looks like this:
“Action required: keep yourdomain.co.uk renewal notification service active”
It will include:
- A renewal date
- A £79 annual charge
- A “View Invoice” button
- Company details at the bottom
It looks official.
But it is not your domain renewal.
What is it actually?
It’s a third-party company offering a “renewal notification service”.
That means they are charging you £79 per year to… tell you when your domain is due for renewal.
Which your actual domain provider already does for free.
The wording is carefully chosen so it feels urgent and necessary, without directly claiming to be your registrar.
It relies on confusion.
How to tell it’s not genuine
• The sender is not your usual domain company
• It refers to a “notification service”
• It creates urgency around staying active
• The amount is typically around £70–£90 – much steeper than a typical domain
If your domain truly needed renewing, you would hear directly from your registrar.
What to do
Do not click the invoice.
Do not pay it.
Forward it to your web person if you’re unsure.
Scammers are getting more sophisticated. A second pair of eyes costs nothing.
If you’re feeling unsure about your site or worried you’ve missed something obvious, you don’t have to figure it out alone.
I’m always happy to take a look and point you in the right direction.