Domain Name renewal scams are not new. For years owners of domain name registrations have received emails or faxes indicating one or more of their domain registrations are up for renewal.

The average business owner who doesn't pay much attention or may not even remember what registrar holds their domain registration may see the notice and believe it is an invoice. Unwittingly, that owner has just changed his registrar.

Domain Name Wire reports yet a new scam this one a bit more nefarious than just a scam switch to a new registrar. The link in the email takes you to DomainRenewal-online.com (which we assume will be shut down soon after the news spreads), offers to renew your domain for 1 year for a whopping $69.95 and provides a non-secure form for you to insert your private information.

If this isn't bad enough, after providing your private information in an open form, you are taken to another non-secure page with a framed credit card authorization.

Protect your domains and your private information by dealing only directly with your domain name registrar. Make sure that if you are asked to provide private information (such as name, address, email address, etc.) that the form is secure (indicated by a lock in the address bar). Never input credit card or other financial data in a non-secure form. Do not attempt to pass this information through non-encrypted email either.

If you receive a domain registration renewal notice which you are unsure about, either login to your domain registration account with your current registrar, or contact them with questions.