Amongst other names they have used included: "Domain Registry Services", "Registration Services Incorporated" and "Domain Registry of Europe" and "Domain Registry of America", "Yellowbusiness.ca", "Internet Registry of Canada", "Domain Registry of Canada", "Domain Registry of Australia".

This 'company' first started sending out fake domain renewal letters to domain holders, using information illegally harvested from various WHOIS databases (mainly the Tucows OpenSRS database) in 2002.

These letters were initially worded in a manner which tricked domain owners into thinking that they were the registrar of the domain and included various phrases and logos that appeared to look official. In addition, highly inflated prices were charged to those who did transfer their domain. A number of corporate domain holders were ripped-off and had their domains transferred to these crooks. And many greenhorn domain owners have been caught out by these mailings.

In the UK in 2002 considerable letters were received using the name "Domain Registry of Europe", leading to anumber of Internet users complaining to the UK Advertising Standards Authority - who regulate/enforce the UK advertising legislation. Perhaps 'enforce' is too strong a word, as they have NOT done their job properly. See Image 1, right for an example letter.

A complaint was sent to the ASA, who responded with the following: "Following our letter of 31 July we have considered your complaint and have taken up the matter with the advertisers. We consider that the mailing suggest that it is an official notice, that it misleadingly exaggerates the importance of the mailing's content and that it fails to indicate clearly that it is an advertisement. We have therefore asked for the advertisers' assurance that the mailing is amended to delete the words "IMPORTANT NOTICE" and other suggestions that exaggerate the status of the mailing and that it states clearly from the outset that the material is an advertisement".

To see the reply in full click here

However, the letters continued, and an adjudication from the ASA was issued in October 2002, ordering the Domain Registry of Europe to stop advertising. For full text of this adjudication, click here.

A number of media articles about the rulings and the letters were written, and many sites warned of these mailings.

Unperturbed, Domain Registry of Europe thought they would get away with changing their tune to Domain Registry of America.

Mailings had altered slightly, with the words "Important Notice" delted and other things changed. However, the fact remained that these mailings were still misleading, and still sent with the intention that users with little knowledge of how domains worked, would be caught-out by them and erroenously transfer the domains to their control. This is commonly known as fraud. Which is illegal in most countries in the world. Yet in the UK, nothing has been done about these crooks. See Image 2, on the right.

Letters have been sent on and off for months, to various domain holders. But it's not just UK these letters have been limited to - Australia, Canada, America, Europe and more have been on the receiving end of these trashy adverts.

In December 2002, Register.com took Domain Registry of America to court, as it duped Register.com clients into thinking that the two were linked. Click here for the article

In August 2003, a Dutch hosting firm Deinternetman and the American domain registration company Register.com again considered taking legal action against Domain Registry of Europe/America. See here for an article.

In December 2003, the US Federal Trade Comission banned DROA from continuing their activities, and ordered them to pay compensation to customers they had mislead. Click here for a PDF document of the ruling. Click here for an article.

However, their activities in the UK have continued. It is now December 2004. And they are still sending out letters. The latest letter that was received on 30th December 2004 is shown in Image 3 on the right.

UPDATES:
25TH JULY 2005 - A mailing from DROA was received. After a long break, looks like they are sending out mail again.
See Image 4 on the right for a scan of this latest mailing.
Kensington Trading Standards have been informed of this, as too have the BBC's Working Lunch TV programme and the ASA again.

MORE INFORMATION
Info on the mailing:
The mailing in the UK appears to be coming from Switzerland via airmail. However, a return envelope is enclosed, with the address: Domain Registry of America, 56 Gloucester Rd., Suite 526, London England SW7 4UB.
56 Gloucester Road is a Mail Boxes Etc. drop-point in South Kensington.

Their Extortionate prices:
Domains can now be registered for as little as $6.95 a year, and yet the Domain Registry of America is charging $25 a year. Since ICANN-acredited domain registrars can register domains for $5, they are making $20 per domain - not bad!

Websites used by Domain Registry scam:
droa.com, droa.net, droa.org, droa.biz, droc.ca, droe.com, droe.info, droe.biz

Email addresses:
support@droc.ca | registrar@droa.com | info@droa.com | sales@droa.com |

Physical Addresses:
In America: Domain Registry Group Inc, 2316 Delaware Ave #266, Bufallo, NY 14216-2687 US.
In Canada: Domain Registry of Canada, PO Box 904, Thornhill, Ontario, L3R 5M3 Canada.
In UK: Domain Registry of America, 56 Gloucester Road, Suite 526, London, SW7 4UB, England

Phone Numbers:
US: Phone: +1.8664340212, Fax: +1.8664340211
Customer Service Department: +1 905 479 2533

LINKS
Here are just some of the links to their activities:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/08/06/legal_action_threatened_against_domain/
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/07/17/domain_registry_of_europe_defends/
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/08/16/ad_watchdog_critical_of_domain/
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/10/23/asa_slams_intimidating_domain_registry/

ASA Rulings:
http://www.asa.org.uk/asa/adjudications/Adjudication+Details.htm?adjudication_id=34767

FTC (Federal Trade Commission):
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2003/12/domainreg.htm
http://www.ftc.gov/os/2003/12/031219stipdomainreg.pdf

Image 1: DROE Letter - 2002
(Click to see bigger image)

Image 2: DROA Letter - 2003
(Click to see bigger image)

Image 3: DROA Letter -2004
(Click to see bigger image)

Image 4: DROA Letter 2005
(Click for larger image)