- Impact
- 24
Hello,
There has been a recent string of LLLL.com scams going around and I'm sure you have heard of them if you are in the domain selling and/or buying business.
I recently was contacted by this infamous '[email protected]' scammer offering to buy my bulk lot of LLLL's. Since I was aware of the scam (thanks to a NamePros post) I played along to see where it would go. I eventually noticed the individual who had been contacting me through PM was suddenly banned from NamePros and I received a personal email ten minutes later offering to continue the discussion. I replied, which is where my mistake occured.
My personal cellular phone number is listed in my personal email account's signature, which means whenever I send a message my signature automatically includes my telephone number. The day after I had been contacted by this user I received a call from my father asking if I had lost my cell phone. I had not, and told him so.
He said Verizon was on the line and had called my home back in New Jersey to confirm registering a new cellular phone using my number. We told them we had absolutely no idea what was going on and not to confirm the request, as I did not lose my phone. I was baffled, but later realized just 24 hours earlier I had mistakingly given my telephone number to a known scammer. For some reason Verizon did activate the number (we've sinced fixed the issue, explained below).
Since many domain scammers phish PayPal accounts I started thinking that perhaps this scammer got my phone number and was then going to sign up for a service using it to continue creating false PayPal/other accounts. For the hell of it my father called my number to see what would happen and a man picked up, saying "Hey.." and "Yeah.." to every question asked. Very shady.
I've been talking to Verizon and my company's lawyer and we are tracking down who is responsible. I am just warning you that if you are going to make contact with ANY domain buyer who appears to be suspicious in the SLIGHTEST-- do not give out your phone number.
I have never experienced anything like this until the very day after I know my phone number was sent to an experienced scammer.
Beware. Thank you.
There has been a recent string of LLLL.com scams going around and I'm sure you have heard of them if you are in the domain selling and/or buying business.
I recently was contacted by this infamous '[email protected]' scammer offering to buy my bulk lot of LLLL's. Since I was aware of the scam (thanks to a NamePros post) I played along to see where it would go. I eventually noticed the individual who had been contacting me through PM was suddenly banned from NamePros and I received a personal email ten minutes later offering to continue the discussion. I replied, which is where my mistake occured.
My personal cellular phone number is listed in my personal email account's signature, which means whenever I send a message my signature automatically includes my telephone number. The day after I had been contacted by this user I received a call from my father asking if I had lost my cell phone. I had not, and told him so.
He said Verizon was on the line and had called my home back in New Jersey to confirm registering a new cellular phone using my number. We told them we had absolutely no idea what was going on and not to confirm the request, as I did not lose my phone. I was baffled, but later realized just 24 hours earlier I had mistakingly given my telephone number to a known scammer. For some reason Verizon did activate the number (we've sinced fixed the issue, explained below).
Since many domain scammers phish PayPal accounts I started thinking that perhaps this scammer got my phone number and was then going to sign up for a service using it to continue creating false PayPal/other accounts. For the hell of it my father called my number to see what would happen and a man picked up, saying "Hey.." and "Yeah.." to every question asked. Very shady.
I've been talking to Verizon and my company's lawyer and we are tracking down who is responsible. I am just warning you that if you are going to make contact with ANY domain buyer who appears to be suspicious in the SLIGHTEST-- do not give out your phone number.
I have never experienced anything like this until the very day after I know my phone number was sent to an experienced scammer.
Beware. Thank you.
