Internet Scams Even Target Law Firms
The Internet Optimization Bureau, an official sounding organization bearing a government-like seal, has been fowarding invoices to unsuspecting domain name owners, directing them to pay upwards of $300.00 to maintain a service these holders never bought in the first place.
The scam seeks to target people who fear that their domain name will be canceled if they don’t renew. The company has used several unfair business practices, including using a government style seal, not properly disclosing that what they are sending is an advertisement, referring to the ad as an “invoice,” and directing it to accounts payable. According to a spokesperson at the FTC, these phony invoices scam great numbers of consumers. This law firm was recently sent 3 separate “invoices” to pay for domain name maintenance that was never purchased in the first place. To download a copy of the invoice, please click here
Under federal and state law, there are specific provisions that address and proscribe using, distributing, or selling a written communication that simulates or is represented falsely to be a document authorized, issued, or approved by a court, an official, a governmental agency, or any other governmental authority, or that creates a false impression about the communication’s source, authorization, or approval. This document has been forwarded to the state attorney general and to the FTC for possible prosecution.
Interestingly, soon after receiving the invoice, this firm received a second communication, rescinding the “invoice,” most likely because it realized it was trying to scam a law firm. To download a copy of this correspondence, click here.
Practice Pointer: Warn clients that they may receive such phony communications, either in the form of an Internet Renewal/Domain Name Renewal, or in the form of a Trademark Maintenance Service. Our policy is to have clienst forward any and all communications requesting money for trademark work or internet work directly to the firm for review. In 100% of the cases, they have been money scams.