Is anyone aware of Hansen, Ltd. in China

[Lee]

First comes a polite investigation by a Chinese registrar:
This email is from China domain name registration center, which mainly deal with the domain name registration in China. We received an application from Hansen Ltd on May 21, 2012. They want to register " vikingsword " as their internet keyword and China/Asia (CN/ASIA) domain names. But after checking it, we find this name conflicts with your company. In order to deal with this matter better, so we send you email and confirm whether this company is your distributor or business partner in China or not?

I reply:
I have operated my InterNet publishing activities as vikingsword.com since 1997 or 1998. The site includes a number of essays on antique arms and armour, the extras and errata look-up page for a book published in 2002 on antique Viking Age swords and, accounting for the majority of current traffic, a discussion forum on ethnographic arms and armour with a broad international membership. I have no known business connections with or knowledge of Hansen, Ltd.

Now from Hansen, Ltd.:
We are Hansen Ltd based in Chinese office, our company has submitted the "vikingsword " as CN/Asia domain name and Internet Keyword, we are waiting for Mr. John's approval. We hope your company will not object our application, because this name is very important for our products in Chinese and Asian market. We don't want your company to use this name in China and Asia, we believe our company will become the legal owner of this name in China and Asia. Even though Mr. John advises us to change another name, we will persist in this name and permanent registration of this name.

[David]

hmmm....sounds like Hansen is more telling you than asking.
Frankly i don't understand exactly how this all works. This is an international forum reaching all parts of the world including all of Asian. I don't know what these guys sell or why they seem to believe that this name is vital to their company's success, but clearly Lee, you are not trying to sell a product here. Still i wonder if they could take the name and then try to force you to relinquish it. I would continue to suggest to the registrar that they should deny the name to Hansen just to be on the safe side.

[dbhmgb]

Lew,

Google for "chinese domain name scams" - this has been going on for years. Forward the whole thing to your Domain Name registrar just to verify and let them deal with it.

Dan

[David]

Originally Posted by dbhmgb

Lew,

Google for "chinese domain name scams" - this has been going on for years. Forward the whole thing to your Domain Name registrar just to verify and let them deal with it.

Dan

Good catch Dan. Here is a link that discusses this and your email looks almost like this Lee...
http://www.sleeplessmedia.com/blog/2...o-fall-for-it/
...and Dan, this is Lee, the site owner, not Lew...

[dbhmgb]

Originally Posted by David

Good catch Dan. Here is a link that discusses this and your email looks almost like this Lee...
http://www.sleeplessmedia.com/blog/2...o-fall-for-it/
...and Dan, this is Lee, the site owner, not Lew...

I meant to type Lee but it appears that Lew came out - that's the result when I don't proof read.

I've worked in the IT industry for 35 years and I've seen so many scams it's hard to imagine. I'm actually surprised this one is still popping up - we first saw it around 2006, a bit long-in-the-tooth, but it's still catching folks.

As I said Lee, forward it to your Registrar to verify all is as it appears.

[Rick]

Dan, you have already become invaluable, mate .

[Gavin Nugent]

Originally Posted by dbhmgb

Lew,

Google for "chinese domain name scams" - this has been going on for years. Forward the whole thing to your Domain Name registrar just to verify and let them deal with it.

Dan

Indeed, i get it often, they just want your money, ignore and delete.

Gav

[Lee]

Thank you all for your insight, with special kudos to dbhmgb. Even though this series of exchanges seems to vary a bit from those described in the link and what I have found with some searches, most all of the 'tell-tales' of the scam that are described in those sources are applicable.

I usually am adequately wary of all the debris arriving in my inbox, but I admit this one had me going - I suppose the tone of it was so much that of corrupt developer bullies putting peasants off their land because they can.

[dbhmgb]

Originally Posted by Lee

Even though this series of exchanges seems to vary a bit from those described in the link and what I have found with some searches...

Hello Lee,

That's why I suggested contacting the company that handles your domain, my experience has proven it's always best to verify.

Dan