Internet provider Blacknight is advising clients to ignore emails attempting to lure owners of domain names into paying to register that name under other domains.

The emails refer to a domain name held by the recipient, and claims that the sender has received a request from a third party to register the same name in another domain, usually .com, .EU or .info.

The emails claim that they are “usually under the obligation to register the domain name and to protect it for a period of 10 years”, in an attempt to extract €200 from the email recipient.

Blacknight chief executive Michele Neylon (pictured) said: “There is no obligation for domain registrars to track down potential rights holders with similar names in other top-level domains. It’s a blatant attempt to frighten people into handing over money quickly without thinking things through."

According to Neylon, similar emails have been reported targeting domain registrants in the Dutch (.nl) and Belgian (.be) country code domains, and it is likely that the hustle originates from outside Ireland.

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The Blacknight boss had some advice for anyone who owns a domain name registered in Ireland:

• There is no such thing as a first option for rights holders in domain name registration.
• Domain name registration is highly competitive. Shop around and compare prices. Don’t take the word of a stranger who tries to imply that they are doing you a favour.
• If you are unsure how long you will require a domain name, choose one year and set your account to renew automatically unless you change your mind.
• Check the bona fides of any company you are dealing with. For a registrar of generic domain names like .com, are they accredited to ICANN, the international body which regulates domain names?