Warning! Scammer posing as me to gain access to domain parking services

[Edwin]

Back in July 2008, a scammer posed as me to try and join a number of domain parking services. He used a list of many of my .co.uk domains as "proof" that he had names worth parking, and (possibly - he could have created other email addresses as well) the email address edwinhayvard@yahoo.co.uk (note that his email address uses a "v" in it not a "w"!) He also may have initially used my home address in his application.

I made a pre-emptive series of posts to the major domain forums at the time, and I also emailed every parking program I could think of, and a large number of his fraudulent parking accounts were suspended, according to the communications I received from parking companies I didn't catch in my initial clean-up operation back in July.

However, he seems to have recently started using other parking accounts which he left dormant since July last year, hence this new alert. He seems to be laundering junk, click fraud and other similar worthless traffic through the parking accounts.

If you find that I ("Edwin Hayward") allegedly joined your parking service since July 2008, then it's highly likely that it's actually the scammer since I only entered a couple of new business relationships in the last 6 months.

A few things to check (not an exhaustive list)
- Poor English in any communication you exchanged with him, as if the messages were coming from a non-native speaker
- Was payment by wire requested?
- Is the traffic coming from "junk" sources and names that aren't generic? (all of mine are)
- Is the scammer hiding behind free email services? I have one gmail account (ehayward@) and several "real" email accounts at domains that I own, and that's it. I don't use any other free email services or have any other gmail accounts.
- Did he sign up with phone number 008613867744840? (not mine, nothing to do with me - that's a China country code)
- His ID on DNForum is/was "simajianlin". On Acorn Domains he is/was "majianlin". His username on Afternic is/was "Majianlin" and his Afternic ID is 118925.

If you have even the slightest doubt, please either PM me here or preferably email me at ehaywardATmemorabledomains.co.uk as I have a much larger file of information on this scammer, and would be delighted to send you everything I know about him. In the meantime, please DON'T PAY HIM!

[Dale Hubbard]

Edwin - your rep is legendary. Grab the scum. Will be watching the .co.uk scene...

[Yusio]

Sounds like you have your hands full. Good luck.

[Edwin]

Thanks for the encouragement. Unfortunately, the scammer is in an "awkward" jurisdiction in that it would be prohibitive to chase them through legal channels, so the best I can do is spread this warning far and wide...

[ohkus]

Edwin,

Don't feel bad, it happens to all of us. I had a similar scammer sign up for a number of services using a name just like mine @gmail.com. Since then I switched my email to a email address only I have an account at.

The way I found out was a lady at one of the parking services emailed me instead of him by accident because it is one letter off, I freaked out because I didn't realize people stooped to this level.