I just blew $150 on a 'vintage' web hosting service that was a total scam

I got an email a few weeks ago from a service called 'GeoCities Forever Hosting' promising to keep my old Angelfire fan site up and running with 'true 90s server tech'. They said it would keep the classic look and feel, which I thought was cool. I paid the $150 for a year, thinking it was a niche service run by fans. The site went down after three days. Their support email bounced, and the whole company page vanished. Turns out it was just a guy running a scam from a basic template, and he pocketed the cash from a bunch of us. I should have checked forums first, but the pitch sounded so specific. Has anyone else run into these fake 'retro hosting' traps lately? I'm out the money and my old site files are gone too.

3 comments

3 Comments

uma_patel182mo ago

Is losing a fan site really that big of a deal?

quinn_flores802mo ago

Ugh, that's such a specific scam to fall for. Maybe your bank can do a chargeback for services not delivered?

oliver2421mo ago

Actually got hit with something similar last year, @quinn_flores80. Paid someone 80 bucks to build a simple portfolio page and they just vanished after two weeks. Bank did a chargeback for me after I showed them the emails and payment proof. Worth a shot for sure, especially if you have any screenshots or receipts saved.