Dynadot

WARNING: How to Avoid Domain Scams and Scammers

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Watch
Prevention:

Google the domain (also try adding words like stolen, scammed, help, missing, etc), asking other domainers about the domain in question, checking the various marketplaces and making sure things add up... The biggest single indicator of a potential scam is the price. A scammer will want to price the domain low enough that it sells before he gets caught. Keep a watchful eye on new members. Recently modified whois is another warning sign. If other indicators are present (ex. extremely low price), proceed with extreme caution.

Some known scams:

1. Appraisal Scam -- If they ask for an appraisal, it's probably a scam.

2. Snail mail scam letters -- Letters through the mail reminding you to renew your domains from companies which aren't your current registrar

3. Compromised web-based email accounts and keyloggers -- Using an email provided to you by your Internet Service Provider is generally safer than web-based email solutions. There have been known security flaws in certain webmail applications in the past (ex. Gmail) which made compromising member accounts considerably easier than guessing a password. Understand the risks involved with using a web-based solution. Download spyware software such as Adaware Lavasoft and scan your computer daily. Keyloggers are A) easy to put on someone's computer and B) potentially catastrophic to a web based business.

4. Unauthorizing funds (particularly bad with Paypal). Paypal makes it very easy to create chargebacks. Don't accept large amounts by Paypal unless you're dealing with people you absolutely trust. Moneybookers/Escow.com are a step above Paypal, however the best option would be to go with a true escrow service such as Sedo Escrow, Moniker Domain Escrow Service or EscrowDNS.

5. Emails saying your domain requires renew/transfer/you to take a certain action. Check the email and make sure that A) it's from your registrar and B) the url mentioned matches what your registrar's would be. Safer to just visit the registrar than click the links in the email.

6. Incorrect Whois emails -- if your whois isn't incorrect, beware. Phone your registrar if you think they made a mistake.

7. Traffic/Click Fraud -- Self explanatory. If it isn't direct navigation it shouldn't be sold as such. Due diligence is required here.

8. Hijacking -- If you use one of your own domain names as the nameserver, be sure to make sure it doesn't expire or someone could fraudulently gain control of your domains.

9. Escrow.com is NOT 100% safe. They do not cover stolen domains -- buyer beware. Don't think processing a "bargain" through Escrow.com won't potentially end in you being out money. In the event a domain is stolen from someone's account, the domain WILL be returned to the original owner and you'll be out whatever you paid for the domain.

10. One thing I should add: Most free webmail providers will delete accounts after certain periods of inactivity. A clever scammer could notice that your Hotmail/Yahoo/other webmail account had expired, register that same email address (which is now available) and then proceed to "Request Password" at various registrars using what was previously your email address. If you plan on using your webmail infrequently, it's recommend you verify what amount of inactivity is tolerable and won't result in email account deletion.
 
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The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of NamePros.
Yofie said:
Also part your fault for pushing the domain before getting payment. That's some risky business and you just found out why.
Yeah, I understand that. It's my fault, no doubt.
 
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Thanks for report.
It seems the guy is now banned at DP, which is unusual cos DP never ban scammers.
Could be a hacked DP account?
 
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This just in from paypal...

==================================================================

PayPal

==================================================================

Hello krx,

We've made some fantastic improvements to our Seller Protection
policy on eBay and wanted to share the good news. It's now
easier than ever to be covered against item-not-received and
item-significantly-not-as described claims, chargebacks, and
reversals. Additional highlights include:

- No annual coverage limit - Every eligible claim is covered at no
additional cost to you.

- International sales coverage - Go ahead, sell worldwide. Seller
Protection extends to purchases made by buyers in 190 countries.

- Ship to unconfirmed addresses for eBay sales - Now you can ship
to any address and eligible sales are covered.

There's nothing you need to do. These improvements apply to
all eBay sellers in the U.S. and are effective immediately.
For details, see our complete terms and conditions at:
http://email1.paypal.com/u.d?h4GtunwlgAyqvp_QgnV2P=1810

Learn More
http://email1.paypal.com/u.d?gYGtunwlgAyqvp_QgnV18=1780


Anyone know if this provides any *real* protection against fraudulent chargebacks?
 
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Sounds like it only applies to sales conducted through eBay. It also still seems like it only covers shipped "non-digital" goods.

krx said:
This just in from paypal...

==================================================================

PayPal

==================================================================

Hello krx,

We've made some fantastic improvements to our Seller Protection
policy on eBay and wanted to share the good news. It's now
easier than ever to be covered against item-not-received and
item-significantly-not-as described claims, chargebacks, and
reversals. Additional highlights include:

- No annual coverage limit - Every eligible claim is covered at no
additional cost to you.

- International sales coverage - Go ahead, sell worldwide. Seller
Protection extends to purchases made by buyers in 190 countries.

- Ship to unconfirmed addresses for eBay sales - Now you can ship
to any address and eligible sales are covered.

There's nothing you need to do. These improvements apply to
all eBay sellers in the U.S. and are effective immediately.
For details, see our complete terms and conditions at:
http://email1.paypal.com/u.d?h4GtunwlgAyqvp_QgnV2P=1810

Learn More
http://email1.paypal.com/u.d?gYGtunwlgAyqvp_QgnV18=1780


Anyone know if this provides any *real* protection against fraudulent chargebacks?
 
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I just received an email from paypal for unauthorized claim for two transactions completed with DP user through yahoo messenger. So I have $350 held by Paypal for now..

The user in question is: shandoli (at DigitalPoint)
his email: [email protected]
Yahoo id: socratescasanova
paypal email : [email protected]

everyone, please be careful while dealing wit him :(
 
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www.LLLL.com said:
Sounds like it only applies to sales conducted through eBay. It also still seems like it only covers shipped "non-digital" goods.
Too bad. Doesn't sound like that will help much. :td:

Jay08 said:
I just received an email from paypal for unauthorized claim for two transactions completed with DP user through yahoo messenger. So I have $350 held by Paypal for now..

The user in question is: shandoli (at DigitalPoint)
his email: [email protected]
Yahoo id: socratescasanova
paypal email : [email protected]

everyone, please be careful while dealing wit him :(
Thanks for the heads-up Jay.

I don't frequent DP much ... sounds like it is scam haven over there. What's up with that?
 
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I've heard they make little to no effort to ban members even when it's obvious that members are scamming people. I guess all the scammers tell their scammer friends to come over and have a free lunch on the unsuspecting honest members.

krx said:
I don't frequent DP much ... sounds like it is scam haven over there. What's up with that?
 
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hey, thanx for the tips..

surely needed those tips..
 
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The big problem with pretty much all the big web-based email platforms is that the sheer number of people using them encourages hackers to look for vulnerabilities to exploit.

I've heard enough vulnerabilities about all 3 (Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo Mail), that I really wouldn't recommend using any of the 3 for important business or domains. I use an ISP based email and have done so for the past 10 years without problems.

More often than not though, it's not vulnerabilities to blame, it's ignorant people who can't tell a legitimate email from a spoofed one. Easy to copy a web-based email provider's source code, send a spoofed email to an intended recipient, and record their username/password when the log into your "fake Gmail".

dmi said:
I don't know if this was posted here before, but it's sure a good read. http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/breaking-gmail-security-flaw-more-domains-get-stollen/

Is it Gmail or something else?
 
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I just got an email from a "company" called WebnameSolution (infoATwebnamesolution.com). They are offering to sell me a LLLL.com for $200. By the way, I own the same LLLL.net, and it's developed.

Anyway, I did some research and came to a conclusion that the LLLL.com they're offering in Pending Delete status (they don't actually own the name). There were complaints on other forums from people who got scammed before.

Beware...
 
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Thanks for letting us know Samir.

I was doing some reading the past couple days and came across an article on Cnet discussing the supposed Gmail vulnerability: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10108529-83.html .

It appears to have been a phishing scam afterall.
 
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Interesting discussion. Thanks for sharing!
 
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scammer report:

His MSN: [email protected]
His Paypal: [email protected]
His name.com account code: 185594-abc0771

He try to "purchase" my 17 LLLL.com domain names for $500. Through his name.com account code, I found he is a scammer!
 
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Another scammer that I found on another forum, so watch out for this guy from Romania:

First Name: Isvanca
Last Name: Mihai Alexandru
Address: Oituz 33 bl 33 ap 17
City: Onesti
State: Romania
Zip: 601047

Phone: 40742727476
 
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Just buy domain names from certified companies and you'll be ok!
 
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iridium said:
Just an FYI that I got the following two domains stolen by InBrownStockings:

dysl.com
domd.com

If anyone notices them in a sales thread somewhere I'd appreciate if they could PM me. Thanks!


Its been eight months that the above two names were stolen from me through an illicit transaction.

What is amazing is that even after contacting various parties at enom and documenting the theft and even thought this was not an isolated case by this thief, the names are just sitting there in the thief's enom account and I have been unable to recover them.

Ridiculous!
 
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the 6sv.com seller is scammers,i bid winning in NP action ,but at this time,he sold via Sedo action,and no reply shit!
 
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Hi

I posted this here (and paid for a sticky) because it seems like this guy is preying on Namepros members.. With how fast he's targetting them, having merely a post in the Warnings and Alerts section just won't get the word out soon enough...

Anyone with more info on this guy, please let us know. As EG.Domains, the NPer who alerted me to this scammer told me -- it's very probable that large holders of LLLL.coms are at the very top of his list of people to scam.
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Buildings and Contents Insurance
credit card debt solutions
 
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Thanks for the heads up man...I have actually heard about this through friends, but this is a little more verification that it was legit.. I will definitely show this to them too. Very interesting stuff, thanks!
 
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