Category: Illegal Domain Activities

Running Lotteries or Raffles for Domains Without Permits

The domain name industry has always been inventive when it comes to methods of monetization and marketing. As values have risen, with premium names selling for six or seven figures, domain investors have sought creative ways to unlock liquidity and attract attention to their portfolios. One tactic that has gained intermittent popularity is running lotteries…

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Renting Domains for Robocalls and TCPA Liability

The domain name industry has always been intertwined with broader trends in marketing and communications. As domains serve as the digital storefronts and identity anchors of online businesses, they are natural tools for campaigns ranging from brand building to direct response advertising. Yet in the murkier corners of the marketing world, domains have also been…

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Impersonation Domains for Banks and Governments Criminal Risks

Within the domain name industry, one of the most dangerous areas for investors, registrants, and intermediaries lies in the sphere of impersonation domains that target banks and government institutions. These domains are often indistinguishable at first glance from legitimate web addresses and are designed to trick users into believing that they are interacting with an…

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Crypto Scam Domains Rug Pulls Impersonation and Fraud Charges

The explosion of the cryptocurrency sector has created both a surge of legitimate innovation and an accompanying tidal wave of fraudulent schemes. At the heart of many of these scams are domain names, which serve as the primary gateway for users seeking to invest, trade, or learn about digital assets. Crypto-related domains carry extraordinary economic…

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Using Privacy Proxy to Conceal Illegal Use How It Backfires

The domain name industry has long offered registrants tools to shield their personal information from public view. Privacy and proxy services, often bundled by registrars as value-added features, serve a legitimate and important purpose for many. They protect individuals from spam, reduce the risk of identity theft, and provide companies with flexibility in announcing new…

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Wash Trading to Inflate Domain Values Securities and Fraud Issues

The domain name industry has matured into a multi-billion-dollar marketplace, with investors, corporations, and entrepreneurs all vying for digital real estate that carries branding power, search visibility, and speculative value. Like any asset market, pricing depends on supply, demand, and perceived scarcity. However, as with equities, commodities, and digital assets, manipulation of these price signals…

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Escrow Fraud in Domain Transactions Schemes to Avoid

The domain name industry has grown into a global marketplace where transactions worth thousands or even millions of dollars occur daily. Because domain names are intangible assets, their transfer requires a degree of trust and technical precision that makes escrow services a central feature of the industry. Escrow acts as a neutral safeguard, holding funds…

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Forged Transfer Authorizations The Crime of Domain Hijacking

The domain name industry operates on systems of trust and authentication that are simultaneously technical and contractual. Unlike physical property, which has visible boundaries and tangible possession, domain names exist as entries in a global registry, dependent on accurate records of ownership and authorization. This structure makes them highly valuable but also uniquely vulnerable. One…

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Domain Front Running by Insiders Illegal and Career Ending

The domain name industry has always been driven by information asymmetry, where the timing of registration, knowledge of expiring names, and insight into search trends can make the difference between securing a highly valuable asset and missing out entirely. Within this competitive environment, the temptation for insiders—registrar employees, brokers, or marketplace operators—to exploit their privileged…

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Tax Evasion on Domain Profits What Not to Forget

The domain name industry has evolved from a niche corner of the internet into a sophisticated asset class with millions of dollars changing hands every day. Premium domain names, once purchased for a few dollars in the early days of the web, are now sold for sums that rival real estate transactions. Investors flip portfolios…

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