Help - Registrar accuses me of spamvertizing

[RSK2000]

Hi,

Just received this unexpected email from web hosting company one and one (www.1and1.co.uk) and I am looking for any advice on the best way of dealing with it..........


Subject: [Ticket xxxxxxxxxxx] Your domain is being spamvertized (contract: xxxxxxx)


Dear Ray XXX,

we have received a considerable number of complaints reporting that
your domain
<http://[domain name removed].com> is being advertized in spam e-mails.

Please take the corresponding steps required to prevent the delivery of
spam
immediately.

Furthermore we ask you to notify us of the undertaken measures within
three
working days. Should further complaints reach us, we'll feel impelled
to take
corresponding steps according to our T&C.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Regards,

[name removed]

--
Abuse Department
1&1 Internet Ltd.


!!!PASTE SPAM EXAMPLE HERE!!!

I am fairly worried as I own the domain name, but I am not promoting the domain name in question in any way whatsoever. I'm simply pointing it to one of my websites - and that is all I have done with it. Furthermore, it is a random LLLL.com which has not shown any increase in traffic, which would be the case if someone else was promoting it.

Any suggestions on how to respond would be appreciated.

 

[weblord]

for sure they know you're ip address, make sure you give them all your ip addresses as proof that you're not doing the spam and if possible ask them the spamvertised email with full email headers or let them investigate it for you, if you have done nothing wrong then there's nothing to worry about.

im thinking you're being spoofed

 

[Frikkle]

Yeah. You realize...with PHP you can send emails and make them look like they are coming from a certain domain.

You should reply and tell them the truth essentially. Explain the predicament. And if you have a lot of domains, I recommend selling the particular domain for the sake of keeping your status quo at the registrar.

 

[RSK2000]

Frikkle -

I recommend selling the particular domain for the sake of keeping your status quo at the registrar

I am a little surprised that this would be a the best course of action - at the end of the day I am the victim here. Why should I lose my domain for something I did not do?

 

[weblord]

see if your site is listed on
http://www.spamcop.net/w3m?action=inprogress;type=www
if not ask your hosting provider for proofs if they can't show any then it's just an accusation.

Frikkle -


I am a little surprised that this would be a the best course of action - at the end of the day I am the victim here. Why should I lose my domain for something I did not do?

 

[Peter]

I recommend selling the particular domain for the sake of keeping your status quo at the registrar.

That is somewhat drastic do you not think? There is no reason to sell the domain name.

A couple of things to check. Do you have any scripts installed on the domain ? If so ensure that it is secure. Do you rent a server from 1&1 if so ensure that is also secure (if you only have standard hosting then that isn't a problem).

As has been suggested check on some of the spam sites such as http://member.dnsstuff.com/info/overview.php#alertservice (i believe you can use this tool x amount of times before paying to use it).

Also as suggested see if 1&1 can provide you with example emails that have been complained about. It is quite possible that it is simply a case of forged headers but 1&1 should really have caught that if it is the case.

 

[weblord]

not a good idea, for along with the domain sales you are also transferring the headaches of being called spamvertised site,

:imho: settle the issues first re: why your hosting provider called your site spamvertised site like in my previous post and then when issues are resolved, you can now sell the domain leaving the new owner with a clean slate to start with.

I recommend selling the particular domain for the sake of keeping your status quo at the registrar.