Senders of misleading email specifically disclaim that it’s misleading.
Domain Name Wire readers have surely received lots of fake renewal notices telling them they must pay or lose their domain name. Or, at least mislead them into thinking that.
This all ends up in my spam folder, but when I was clearing out that folder this week I decided to open one of the emails. I read the tiny fine print at the bottom and it gave me a laugh.
Here’s the email:
If you look carefully at the email you’ll see some tiny, light grey print at the bottom. It starts out with a fairly typical email disclaimer:
PLEASE NOTE:
This Email contains information intended only for the individuals or entities to which it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient or the agent responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, or have received this Email in error, please notify immediately the sender of this Email at the Help Center and then completely delete it. Any other action taken in reliance upon this Email is strictly prohibited, including but not limited to unauthorized copying, printing, disclosure, or distribution.
The disclaimer buries the lede. If you read on, it says you aren’t renewing your domains, just an “optimization” service for your “webside” (sic).
We do not register or renew domain names. This is not a bill or an invoice. This is a optimization offer for your webside. You are under no obligation to pay the amount stated unless you accept this purchase offer.
Then it talks about how the email complies with CAN-SPAM. It’s the second sentence that cracks me up:
Promotional material is stricly (sic) along the guidelines oft he can-spam act of 2003. They are in no way misleading.
Here’s a hint: if you have to tell people that your email is not misleading, it probably is.
Oh, by the way, I “elected to recieve notificaton (sic) offers” according to the email.
Gmail caught this email and put it in spam, warning that the link had been used to steal information. The link uses a .top domain…imagine that!