GoDaddy (and other domain name registrars) apparently have to send out this notice to comply with their ICANN membership. I Googled quite a bit and I think it’s legit. Basically, as I see it, they want you to have “real” information about you in the WHOIS database.
In a nutshell, go to who.is, check your domain contact info. If the domain contact data is current and accurate, you’re good. If, however, your domain contact information is inaccurate, you must correct it–at least that’s what ICANN says.
Here’s the gist of the email that you probably got.
Dear Your Name,
It’s that time of year again. ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) annually requires that all accredited registrars ask their domain administrators/registrants to review domain name contact data and make any changes necessary to ensure accuracy. According to our records, you are the ADMINISTRATIVE CONTACT on the following domain names registered at GoDaddy (etc.) as of
YOURDOMAIN.COM
To review/update your contact data:
- You will need a copy of your Domain Information Key:
29384938-6E95-4A6C-97CB-F5617AE8C1B7 - Go to [some big long domain name, make sure the domain.com part is actually your registrar!]
NOTE: If the link does not work, copy and paste the URL into your browser. - Input your Domain Information Key and review your contact information.
If you find that your domain contact data is current and accurate, there’s no need to take action. If, however, your domain contact information is inaccurate, you must correct it. (Under ICANN rules and the terms of your registration agreement, PROVIDING FALSE CONTACT INFORMATION CAN BE GROUNDS FOR DOMAIN NAME CANCELLATION.) To review the ICANN policy, visit: http://www.icann.org/en/whois/wdrp-registrant-faq.htm
Should you have any questions or believe you have received this email in error, please email us at [email protected] or call our customer support line at [help desk phone number]. Thank you for your attention.
Be careful, there is a spoofed version of this going around that looks very convincing. But when you look closely at the link you are supposed to click on, the actual link, not the displayed part, you’ll see it’s not actually going to godaddy.com, but a domain name created to look very similar.
Thanks, Dan. I figured there must be a spoofed version, too–isn’t there a spoofed version of just about everything these days? But there are legit ones, too, right? Man, if techy people like me (us) can’t even figure it out, I feel the pain of those who might get taken. Thanks again for the note.
Bradley, we just received one in today. I had started to click on it without checking, but my “spidey sense” started tingling, so I checked more closely. It would be very easy for those less experienced to fall for it though. No misspellings, or odd phrases. One tell is that they did not use my name in the greeting.
Cheers!