Scammers

[amplify]

I know this will detract a lot of members from signing up to this forum, but we need a safe and secure way of making deals. I can brush $180 off my shoulder now, but someone new at domaining and with limited funds could potentially hurt them. Years ago bought a domain for $100, it was literally the last $100 I had in my pocket (the wife was sooooo angry at that). I sold it for I believe $750 about a month later. It saved me and my family for a week or two until I could get a job (new to Japan). I think back at that moment, what if that $100 was a scam? How would I live? I put trust in the seller and went for it because it’s all I had—and I’m a risk taker.

My suggestion is that EVERYONE selling a domain name gets verified before they are allowed to post a domain name.

Documents/info should include one or two of the following:

Social Security Card (Last 4 shown) along with credit card (last 4 shown)
Passport
Driver’s License + a bill to the resident address on it (scanned).
A phone number
…Can’t think of any other global verification methods at the moment.

I would be willing to verify users one by one to ensure they are who they say they are and what they own is what they own (modification of name servers or removing privacy for one).

___

Tonight I got scammed $180, not a huge deal. My Japanese (Shinto) "horoscope" for the New Year said give to the poor and you'll live happy. If he is really in the need of the money, okay. I have given 10,000 YEN (~$120) to homeless people on the streets before (wife still mad). I'm not rich nor poor, but am willing to give the excess away.

 

[Johnn]

Too many unknown variables beside we moderate the forums and not provide financial services:
- Stolen names
- Hacking Paypal account
- Hacking Registrar account
- Etc.....

Also to be legal to provide Escrow services you have to have a license for each state.

 

[jstewart]

I think the security is already in place, its just you got to use it.

A) If you don't trust the seller....they push first.
B) If the seller doesn't want to ...use Ecop.com or Escrow or SEDO.

 

[Johnn]

I think the security is already in place, its just you got to use it.

A) If you don't trust the seller....they push first.

You would lose the name if they hack the registrar account.

 

[amplify]

I suppose either way, there's no win for the buyer at the end of the day when you're dealing with a scammer.

 

[rngrdanny22]

Too many unknown variables beside we moderate the forums and not provide financial services:
- Stolen names
- Hacking Paypal account
- Hacking Registrar account
- Etc.....

Also to be legal to provide Escrow services you have to have a license for each state.

Ah, makes sense then.

 

[amplify]

On another note, I just secured "badstreak.com" on the aftermarket a day after. I hope this isn't a coincidence...

 

[Johnn]

The best way to prevent this from happening again is click on "report post" if you suspect anything so we can get the "FBI team" to start the investigation.

 

[Melly]

Strange I just saw this post. My brother in law is David Walker : ) - Anyways scammers suck. However, I wouldn't just hand over my SS number or credit card numbers to you either. Not that you are a scammer just saying never can be too careful.

Hope you get your money back.

 

[dcristo]

There is like zero chance I would provide all those documents/ID in the OP just to sell a few domains on DNF. That would be a good way to steal someone's identity Scams happen every day online. Why do you expect dnforum to be any different? And like biggie said you can usually snuff out the scams. Instead of being desperate for the "good deal" be desperate for "not getting scammed" by using due diligence.

 

[domacq]

I think the worry about hijacked accounts (which you could assume for instance an experienced seller would know the worth of domain names, so someone listing too-cheap-to-be-true domains under their account would stick out like a sore thumb...) doesn't justify potential loopholes in the logic of obtaining more information.

Facebook does it... why does everyone else need to get a number to verify? This means nothing anyway, sim cards are cheap (if not free) and disposable; and what was once difficult to get another landline temporary to defraud, can be obtained instantly with a VoIP provider and such services can be discontinued after the first month. Furthermore, you aren't limited to area code or country... you can get a number anywhere.

Then of course... passport scans etc are a target for ID thieves.

I would rather lose $100 (Don't get any ideas!) then have someone pretending to be me and getting credit in my name!!

The problem I think is with these "domain privacy" services. Nominet allows individuals of .uk domains to opt out of their address on file but their name remains on whois - a good compromise. All privacy services become the contact and registered owner... so its easy for anyone to list those domains without even owning them. I guess the fail-safe verification would be uploading a meta tag or file (similar to what Google etc. does) to the website hosted on the domain (i.e. get free or cheap hosting to achieve that if your domain has no website active).

I think the latter (meta or file upload) is a better way, but of course this doesn't mean the seller would necessary transfer the domain after receiving payment.

 

[amplify]

I don't think many people are going to give up vital security details to join a forum. I see the seller had no trader rating, right there you actually get them to push first if it is under $250, or stay away. The forum seems to have addressed the issues before, trader rating is key, especially when it comes to any 3 letter/number type domain, for cheap.

Thanks for this information, just got a "for sale" PM from a gold member with no feedback in the past year (less than 5 total) for a $20 LLLL.com. I suggested push first and no response back. It just saved my time and possibly money. I think I may implement a "push first" policy under certain circumstances. I would never want to tarnish my name with no payment.

Moderators: Would it be allowed if someone posted SomeNameForSale.Com for set price of $200 and I wasn't comfortable with that user for any reason, to PM him and say "sold for $200 if transfer is made first". Does that obligate me to pay $200 for the name or does the clause of 'transfer first' get me out of it so that I don't end up in unresolved sales? As for offers you often see "$200, for 48 hours only", would this relate with a BIN?

 

[Biggie]

Moderators: Would it be allowed if someone posted SomeNameForSale.Com for set price of $200 and I wasn't comfortable with that user for any reason, to PM him and say "sold for $200 if transfer is made first". Does that obligate me to pay $200 for the name or does the clause of 'transfer first' get me out of it so that I don't end up in unresolved sales? As for offers you often see "$200, for 48 hours only", would this relate with a BIN?

if the deal is done via pm, then how do we know?

i would suggest "posting sold in the thread, pending transfer/transaction agreements."

others interested members should respect that post and will watch for outcome.

imo...