For Sale Stolen Domains!

[WilliamC]

Originally posted by snoopy
Agree with mole and aactive, makes for very boring reading when people start a thread about stolen domains yet aren't willing to substantiate their claims at all; instead simply claiming the "pros" know what is going on.

Personally I love how he seems to know what "the pro's know..." and nobodies heard of him before

 

[domainduck]

I consider myself a domain name pro, because domain names are my full-time career and have been since 1998.

If there are domain names being "stolen", I don't know how it is being done, but I hope that threads like this one will help to fix the security holes.

We, who call ourselves pros have many responsibilties, one of which is to try to elevate the reputation of our business.

Frankly, I'm sick of being considered sleazy: http://www.networknews.co.uk/News/1133624



quack

 

[mole]

Sleazy? Sleazy??? Everyone who doesn't make the big sale on domains calls this industry sleazy... figures

Viewpoint: Domain name reselling is so sleazy
By Rob Jones [17-07-2002]
The time has come to clamp down on domain name scams
Last week I decided to set myself up as a domain name reseller. Having learnt quite a bit about common domain name scams of late, and seen how easy they are to perpetrate with no comeback should I be caught, I thought "hell, why not?". It's easy money, and no one is going to stop me.
So I paid my £400 to Nominet, which made precisely zero checks to establish my legitimacy and honesty, and figured I would start to develop my empire by calling Network News readers. Once I have exhausted that plentiful supply - many of whom I have hope will unceremoniously tell me to shove my offer where the sun doesn't shine - I will move on to the reader lists of our sister publications.

It is so easy to set yourself up as a domain name reseller that every reader could do the same. That would really throw the industry into confusion, and perhaps, as it ground to a halt, those in charge of domain names in the UK will see what an almighty cock-up they have made of it.

We have spoken to respectable domain name companies recently that are tearing their hair out because of the reputation the industry has gained as a grubby bunch of sleazy money-grabbing worms. However, none criticise Nominet, because they are nice people. But without teeth, there is little they can do.

Nominet acts like an old English gentleman while a sea full of sharks circle around their victims before picking them off at will. It may not be cricket, old boy, but it's a business that has proliferated, and Nominet does little to stop it. So what punishment does it dish out to those that lie and cheat? Well, provided other members vote for it, Nominet will expel them. I do apologise for any speling mistakes at this point, but I can't see my monitor for laughing right now!

Nominet says it has no authority. Well, lobby and get some. Shame does not work with faceless scammers, and expulsion does not bar companies from selling domain names. It begs the question of why waste £400?

If you have a grievance, then you could always complain. However, it seems that this cottage industry is sewn up so tight there is no authority to complain to - at least, not one that has the balls to tackle and get rid of these con artists.

Meanwhile, the people you would expect to act - for instance Nominet or trading standards - simply turn their backs and hope that when they look again, the problem will have gone away.

Well it won't. The time has come to stop offering limp excuses. If Nominet is unhappy with its role, then it should push harder for change. Proper measures need to be put in place to stop these scammers, and ensure that they don't just set up again under a different name. A few years ago we saw many people registering household names and charging a premium to sell them back to the company concerned. As soon as a few organisations stood up to the scammers, others hoping to make a quick profit headed for the hills, with no stomach for a legal battle.

In business life there is always someone willing to exploit a loophole. The trick is, to close it.

 

[RacerX]

recap of the stolen names thread. (Kudos to nameinvestor and brujah--Other dn skeptics--eat crow---and try to grab these names now).

These names were stolen via Dotregistrar and now they are returned to NSI. They are:

estates.com
shoppers.com
sheriff.com
friendship.com
lotto.com (Arguably the BEST name ever to drop)
advice.com
odyssey.com
athlete.com
grapevine.com
golfclubs.com

THE THIEF WAS CAUGHT AND JUSTICE WAS SERVED.

THESE NAMES LOOK LIKE THEY ARE GOING TO DROP! GRAB 'EM WHILE YOU CAN!!