What kind of scam is this?

[gsdx]

I've never seen an Email like this before, but I can't figure out what the scam might be. Any ideas?

By the way, my ISP is sympatico.ca

Dear President&CEO,

We are an organization specified at dealing with domain name dispute and registration in asia. We have something important on intellectual property right need to confirm with your company.

On November 4, 2009, we received an application formally, one company named "Gangto Holdings Ltd" applied for the Internet Keyword "sympatico" and some domain names (such sympatico.asia / sympatico.cn...etc.) with our organization. After our initial examination, we found that they have no trademark, Intellectual property, nor patent.But the keyword and domain names they applied for registration are the same with your company's name and trademark.

These days we are dealing with it. If you do not know this company, we doubt that they have other purposes to buy these domain names.If they are your business partner or distributor in Asia,we will automatically confirm application from your business partner after this audit procedure. Now we have not finished the registration of Gangto Holdings Ltd yet, in order to deal with this issue better, please contact us by telephone or email as soon as possible.

Best Regards!

Eric Chen

Manager

At the bottom of the Email is a website link, 2 telephone numbers, a FAX number, and 2 Email addresses.

 

[Paws]

Why do you as a customer get an e-mail that should be addressed to your ISP?

 

[gsdx]

It wasn't. It was addressed to me only because 'sympatico' is in my Email address.

I suspect others with Sympatico accounts would get the same Email.

I figured that would be self-evident.

 

[G-Lexington]

I'm guessing - and that's all it is - is that they hope to sue these people looking for these other domains, and are looking for the holder of the .com one to agree to fight them. But, y'know, best of luck with that.

Lex

 

[gsdx]

^ That makes sense.

I didn't click the visible link, but it looks legit and it isn't redirected as most other Email scams are redirected.

I can post the links and such, but didn't know if I should.

 

[G-Lexington]

No reason to. You don't own the domain name, so you can't get involved in any sort of battle of this nature.

Lex

 

[NedNickerson]

Check this out:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...your+company&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&oq=&aqi=

 

[gsdx]

http://rankexploits.com/musings/2009/internet-keyword-scam/

Except for the company name change (from "Gangto Holdings Ltd to “Tangto Holdings Ltd”) and the registry name, the phone numbers, FAX number, Website link and Email links are identical.

Thanks for finding it.

 

[AlinCanada]

That is soooo....Funny I guess they didn't know Sympatico is owned by Bell, Telus, and Noran Networks. I could just see the faces in those legal departments if such where to be seen.

 

[BINOWGAYLATER]

sooo funny - and soo stupid !!
a few years ago - i got hundreds of messages asking me to launder money for some exiled leader -- all i had to do was send them money first - whatever - - IDIOTS !! THEY ARE !! guess if you fish long enuff - you catch something other than a spare tire.