registrars GNAME scammed me with $10k domain purchased at their marketplace.

[NameSell]

Hi everyone,

I need the community’s guidance regarding a very serious issue involving a three-letter .com domain that I legitimately purchased on GNAME website, which was later transferred out of my GNAME account without my permission.

Background

I purchased a three-letter .com domain from a seller on GNAME, and the full transaction—totalling $10,000—was completed through GNAME’s platform. After the payment was processed, GNAME transferred the domain into my account without any issues. Everything appeared normal, and GNAME acted as the escrow and middleman for the entire transaction.

What Happened

A few days later, I received notifications from GNAME that the domain had been locked due to alleged theft or illegal activity. I was asked to provide proof of legitimate ownership.

Shortly afterwards, I received another notification forwarded to me showing that:
• eNom requested an undo of the transfer
• Verisign executed the undo
• The domain was moved back under eNom’s management

This happened without any communication with me, despite the domain already being in my GNAME account following a legitimate purchase.

WHOIS Conflict

To make things even more concerning:
• The WHOIS currently shows the domain under eNom
• But GNAME is still telling me the domain remains in my account

Major Concerns

This situation raises significant issues for anyone using GNAME:
• How can Verisign undo a completed transfer without a UDRP, court order, or verification from the existing GNAME registrant?
• Why did GNAME not contact me before the reversal took place?
• What protects a buyer if a seller can complain after receiving payment and trigger an undo?
• How can a domain transferred through GNAME’s own escrow/transfer system still be reversed?
• Why is GNAME showing incorrect domain status even after the registry (WHOIS) indicates the domain has been moved?

This is extremely alarming for anyone trusting GNAME with valuable domain transactions.

Current Status

I have already submitted full proof of the legitimate transaction through GNAME’s Abuse/Unlock portal. I have not yet received a proper resolution.

Seeking Community Advice

I would really appreciate guidance on:
• Whether this has happened to others using GNAME
• The correct escalation path with ICANN or other bodies
• How “undo transfer” cases are supposed to be handled
• What legal or procedural protections buyers have in situations like this

 

[NameSell]

Hey @NameSell. We get that you’re frustrated with how things are turning out. Please be informed we have formally filed a report with the Singapore Police Force for this incident, and this matter is now under police investigation. As such, we will refrain from responding to or commenting further.

@GNAME.COM Thank you for the update. Reporting the matter to the Singapore Police is appropriate, but it does not remove GNAME’s obligations as the gaining registrar. A criminal report does not replace your ICANN duties—such as responding through TEAC, engaging eNom directly, protecting a buyer’s property that was transferred and paid for on your platform, and providing a full registrar-level timeline of actions taken.

The seller received the $10,000 payout through GNAME and then reclaimed the domain through a dispute. That makes this both a criminal matter and a registrar-process failure. Filing a police report does not resolve the registrar's side of the issue.

I will cooperate fully with law enforcement, but GNAME still has ongoing responsibilities and cannot simply stop communicating under the pretext of a police report. I will continue pursuing this through ICANN and all appropriate channels.

 

[NameSell]

Thats really a great move .
Would be curious to.know if there was any action taken, at least once the case is closed, by any chance .

Scammer had 6890.net & 1996.tv as well with Gname before moving them to Gdaddy, if that would help them track down the previous and subsequent transactions, it would make it easier to identify who are behind this.
And few of his domains that used the scam lander were with Enom themselves before moving to GoDaddy.

Btw, Namesell already stopped participating in his thread for some reason. Its only we/ the other people are interested in finding the scammer now . May be he is still finding out what landing page took him to the scammers web or ever visited Orz.com before purchase.

The silence is noteworthy. However, maybe there are things going on in the background that will be revealed in time. Or maybe he is tired of reiterating the same things over and over, in slightly different ways to different people. We just don't know.

His absence could be from lots of things. Maybe he was in an accident, or a dog bit him and he is in hospital. Maybe he lost all internet connection, maybe he has some personal crisis. Plus, you know, losing $10K isn't to be sniffed at, even if you were a millionaire + and the weight of that isn't minor.
Most/all of us would fight like hell if someone stole such an amount from ourselves, or a lesser amount. I'd certainly be upending tables and causing havoc everywhere until I got justice.

Justice has to prevail, otherwise the bad guys win and that sends a bad message for everyone, including emboldening other bad guys.

Finally, I would not put much faith in the police bringing a successful resolution to this. Police in Asia are likely less scrupulous than in other regions , with nepotism, corruption and criminal connections affecting operations and policy.

@Leo2k / @Vertibox Thanks for the update and the additional domain information — that’s genuinely helpful, and I will pass it along to my legal team as they work through the case. I want to clarify one point, though: I have not stopped participating. I’ve simply shifted my involvement to the legal side because this is now a formal matter involving a $10,000 fraud, an inter-registrar dispute, and law-enforcement escalation.

At this stage, every move I make has to be aligned with legal advice, which is why my responses may be less frequent. I’m still actively involved and working closely with my legal team to ensure this is handled correctly and properly documented.

Once the investigation and legal steps progress, I will share whatever details I am permitted to disclose so the community can benefit and avoid similar scams. I appreciate everyone’s effort in gathering information — it does help.

 

[Future Sensors]

To maintain the integrity of the investigation, all contributions to this thread must cease immediately.

 

[NameSell]

Just to update the community, I’ve already reached out to eNom’s legal department, but this is the response I received:

The issue here is that @GNAME.COM never acted as the gaining registrar, never responded through TEAC, and never communicated with eNom on my behalf — despite being required to do so under ICANN’s Transfer Policy. As a result, eNom processed the dispute entirely based on their registrant’s submission, with no counter-evidence from GNAME and no representation of the buyer whose $10,000 payment was processed through GNAME’s own system.

Because GNAME failed to participate in the registrar-to-registrar process, eNom treated the dispute as uncontested and therefore refused to provide any procedural details to me.

This demonstrates exactly why GNAME had the responsibility — and still does — to engage eNom properly and protect the buyer, rather than telling me to “contact ICANN” or “seek legal advice.”

 

[jberryhill]

To maintain the integrity of the investigation, all contributions to this thread must cease immediately.

I don't see the point of that. This is a discussion forum, and people can discuss what they like.

I'm interested in other names that seem to share a common history of having passed through this money-laundering operation at GNAME.

However, this part here:

A criminal report does not replace your ICANN duties—such as responding through TEAC, engaging eNom directly, protecting a buyer’s property that was transferred and paid for on your platform, and providing a full registrar-level timeline of actions taken

...is pure fantasy.

A registrar who receives transfer of a stolen name has absolutely no "duty" to try to keep it, and they have no "duty" to contest a transfer dispute raised by the losing registrar.

 

[jberryhill]

The seller received the $10,000 payout through GNAME and then reclaimed the domain through a dispute.

This is the same sort of thing I've seen in the past with people who would steal domain names, "sell" it to themselves, and then raise the sale as an objection to transferring the name back to the person from whom it was stolen.

 

[meowmeow]

The seller received the $10,000 payout through GNAME and then reclaimed the domain through a dispute.

So it's gone from "I don't know who the seller is" straight to a public declaration that the seller and the legitimate domain registrant are the same person?

my legal team

If it was "your legal team" who gave you advice to make the above statement...I suppose its possible if you found them on telegram via @legalteam32734824724

Uhh looks like someone's getting their heels hot!

 

[Leo2k]

I'm interested in other names that seem to share a common history of having passed through this money-laundering operation at GNAME.

Thanks for the update and the additional domain information

Scam lander domains (Another user did the complete research of which domains are using the lander. That credit goes to him. I don't see him participated in this thread and so not tagging him in case he didnt for privacy reasons).

Scam lander domains history below that I have collected. (Please do a check again to make sure the info is correct)

6890.net -
-Was with eNom till 2023 and then
-transferred to Gname during Nov 2023.
-From Gname it was transferred to GoDaddy during Dec 2024.

3133.tv Prior with Gmo group -
- transferred to Gname around June 2024
- transferred to GoDaddy around 2024 October

921.net
- With Enom from 2006 to Nov 2023.
- Moved to Gname during Nov 2023.
- From there moved to Godaddy during Aug 2024.

Pc98.com
- 2009 to 2010 (Enom),
Created again 2011 Feb to 2023 Nov with ENom. - - Transferred to Gname during Nov 2023.
- Transferred to GoDaddy Around 2024 Aug.

882626.com
- 2008 to 2023 (With GMO group).
- Around Nov 2023 transferred to Gname.
- Around Aug 2024 From Gname transferred to Godaddy

1996.tv
- at least 2021 to 2024 with GMO group,
-Transferred to Gname around June 2024
- and after 2 months Aug 2024 transferred to GDaddy.

432.info
- with eNom since reg till 2024,
- transferred to GoDaddy during Aug 2024.

Prior owners could be different. But except one other domains were all passed through Gname to GoDaddy.
And many were with ENom before transferred to Gname and then to GoDaddy.
There should be some revealing info at least at the registrars end.

Please use this as just a quivk guide and if anyone can confirm if the details are correct, you are welcome.

@NameSell If you can tell the domain name that connected you with the scammers lander, it may reveal further more info. And what was the Orz.com landing page before purchase? For some reason you never mentioned that till now.

 

[draco]

A registrar who receives transfer of a stolen name has absolutely no "duty" to try to keep it, and they have no "duty" to contest a transfer dispute raised by the losing registrar.

Is the person that bought the domain allowed to contest the dispute, or is it just losing registrar files with TEAC and the domain is transferred if the gaining registrar doesn't respond in 4 hours?

 

[Vertibox]

@Leo2k - where did you find the registrar history for those names?

 

[jberryhill]

Is the person that bought the domain allowed to contest the dispute, or is it just losing registrar files with TEAC and the domain is transferred if the gaining registrar doesn't respond in 4 hours?

Neither.

The obligation is to "respond in 4 hours". A "response" can simply be a note to the effect of "we are looking into it and will get back to you". No, the registrar does not have to have a comprehensive answer in four hours.

 

[Lox]

= always dig deeper, due diligence

Status Update 21 NOV 2022
Status Update 8 JUL 2025
Free, basic whois

current zone

At least, get familiar with OSINT tools





Regards

 

[jberryhill]

Got pretty quiet in here, didn't it?

 

[Miver]

Got pretty quiet in here, didn't it?

Quite a bit.
Fortunately your doc [ in several 3d] are very precious and interesting so, I'm not getting bored

 

[Lox]

 

[alcy]

I watch alot of utube.. documentary is my fave.. sadly word is Singapore police are not known around world for doing much about anything...

 

[NameSell]

Just a quick update for everyone following this. My legal team has now formally started the process, and things are moving forward. I’ll share whatever outcome I’m able to over the next few days.

For transparency, @GNAME.COM has denied all my requests for basic information and continues to respond with nothing more than “seek legal advice.” That’s exactly why the matter is now being handled through legal channels.

Thanks again to everyone here for the support and guidance.

 

[jberryhill]

My legal team has now formally started the process

What process might that be?

They've filed suit somewhere?

Or is this the "legal process that doesn't work if you say what it is"?

But, I'll make a bet with you. Yesterday, I filed a UDRP on behalf of a client whose name was stolen and transferred to GNAME. I would wager we will get the domain name back before you see your money again.

Are you aiming to get your money back, or are you aiming to get the domain name through this process?

Thanks for all your help, though. You've helped me tie up some loose ends in the UDRP complaint...

...

 

[Future Sensors]

https://domainnamewire.com/2016/04/28/godaddy-patent-title/

Fast Forward to 2025:

"The ICA is pleased to announce that James Bladel, GoDaddy’s Vice President of Public Policy, has joined the ICA Board of Directors. James steps into the seat previously held by Paul Nicks, who retired from GoDaddy last month after many years of dedicated service to both the company and the ICA community. We are deeply grateful to Paul for..."

 

[Brother Bob]

I watch alot of utube.. documentary is my fave.. sadly word is Singapore police are not known around world for doing much about anything...

It is a formal method of closing a case.