Warning - New Scams and Scammers

[Doc Com]

Yesterday I was made aware of a scammer who pays for domains and then does a charge back after securing the domain name. Naturally he used an email account that can be easily closed and untraceable - gmail

This was posted on another forum (mobi mobi mobi!)

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http://mobility.mobi/showpost.php?p=91912&postcount=3

and this was the linking of the two:

http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showt...php?p=10314038

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I (we) certainly appreciate the sharp eyes by anyone who spots these scams.



However, there seems to be more going on and may be here on DNF as well.

Read on:

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And a couple of nights ago I got an email (actually 3 perhaps) from another gmail account holder who claimed he could not reach me via PM on DNF.

He wanted to know how much a certain domain was.

Can not reach me via PM?

He/she also had a gmail email address.


domainser@gmail.com

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There is someone going around who all of a sudden claims they want to buy a domain because it is their name.

I got 2 offers in 2 days.

What caught my attention is the exact same verbiage in both but with different email addresses


This is the second email:

beneters(at)gmail(dot)com wrote:

Hello,

My name is Achilla Beneters and Im interested in buying your domain www(dot)achilla(dot)com Are you are interested in selling it? If you are, do you have any idea how much you want for it? If you don't, let me know and I will make you an offer instead and we can take it from there.

Many thanks for your time,

Achilla Beneters

My Response:

Gee, this is the same wording of some one supposedly named Genisa.

Are you that person too?

Hello,

My name is Genisa Westvilles and Im interested in buying your domain www(dot)genisa(dot)com Are you are interested in selling it? If you are, do you have any idea how much you want for it? If you don't, let me know and I will make you an offer instead and we can take it from there.

Many thanks for your time,

Genisa Westvilles

westvilles(at)gmail(dot)com

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I would like to ask the mods/admin to please monitor the banned IP's and keep a look out for some of these gmail account holders.

I have noticed an increase in "non-members" or guests viewing the threads. I know some are bots but there seems to be more guest activity lately and coincides with all these scams and schemes lately.

I would strongly suggest to members to be

keenly aware of who you are dealing with,

their rep here on the forum,

how long they have been a member,

and what email addresses they are using.


If you are suspicious, it may be a good idea to get some other opinions from trusted members. I would refrain from immediately posting comments until you think you have confirmation of a bogus buyer or offer.

Just seems to be a huge increase in this crap since the beginning of the year.

Peace.

[draggar]

This is becoming common enough that people may start adding in "domain delivered 30-45 days after payment" (or however long they can protest the charge) - if I didn't know the person and it was a rather valuable name, I might consider this.

Take the money - point the DNS to where they want it, then after - hand over the domain.

Or - use an escrow service - a trustworthy one.

[Doc Com]

Originally Posted by draggar

Or - use an escrow service - a trustworthy one.

Using a service is fine.

But I wanted to alert everyone to be vigilant because there seems to be such an increase in domain theft and scams all of a sudden.

[Yusio]

Thanks for the heads up.

[bd77]

Doc thanks for providing this info.

[Johnn]

Feel free to PM me the details if anyone see any suspicious activities here.

Thanks guys,
John

[Doc Com]

This is what I am talking about in one regard.


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 7 (3 members and 4 guests)

It is most likely bots "time of month" (BMS?).

But I have noticed more and more threads being viewed by guests.

Its certainly not a paranoia yet there just seems to be more and more scams going on with domains lately.

One member in another forum has a GoDaddy rep looking into claims of 7 names being stolen out of his account. Suddenly they are not there and now regged to someone else.

Lets face it...domains are the new commodity.

They have value.

Anything with a value attached to it is going to be subjected to theft, fraud, and scams.

[FormerDnForumer]

I got the same emails on dozens of my domains.

[Carter]

Thanks for the heads up DOC!
I'm sure many scammers reading DNF every day.

[Doc Com]

Originally Posted by Carter

Thanks for the heads up DOC!
I'm sure many scammers reading DNF every day.

Both the domain inquires, Genisa and Achilla, had an Italian sound to them.

I have not heard those names used...but certainly not out of the realm of possibilities.

Genisa = Italian
Achilla = Greek

Had the two emails not been identical contents I would not have caught on so quick.


I would be cautious when dealing with someone with a gmail or hotmail account.

[TheLegendaryJP]

Wait, so they scammed you how ?

Isn't this more likely just an attempt to purchase a domain ? Ethical, good business practice aside, where is the scam of funds in your case ?

Ill have you know there are SEVERAL huge domainers who use gmail as their personal and business email. A gmail account does not equate to a scammer. Not saying I agree with it or trust free mail but what happened to you is not a scam, rather a waste of your typing after the initial report of a couple emails known to charge back.

[Carter]

Originally Posted by Doc Com

Both the domain inquires, Genisa and Achilla, had an Italian sound to them.

I have not heard those names used...but certainly not out of the realm of possibilities.

Genisa = Italian
Achilla = Greek

Had the two emails not been identical contents I would not have caught on so quick.


I would be cautious when dealing with someone with a gmail or hotmail account.

Never heard these 2 names in Italian...are mispelled because the right name is Achille in Italian not Achilla.
Genisa idem.
So this scammer don't know the language.

Said so, I've see many strange coincidences on DNF in the last few months...the last is that thread where a guy said scammers trying to send transfer emails don't request so scammers reading us.

Agree never deal with ppl use gmail or hotmail accounts...but I also say is better to keep deals more privately is possible to raise our security.
With this economic crisis many people are broke and they trying to rise some cash scam us.

I don't know If I'm the only to received this, but I found every day in my mail 5/6 phishing attempts.

Never happened to me before.

[hina]

Had the two emails not been identical contents I would not have caught on so quick.

That person must be really stupid to send you two similar emails in such a short time. Maybe it's just a bot?

[NetworkMsia]

thanks for the heads-up

[Doc Com]

Originally Posted by TheLegendaryJP

Wait, so they scammed you how ?

Isn't this more likely just an attempt to purchase a domain ? Ethical, good business practice aside, where is the scam of funds in your case ?

Ill have you know there are SEVERAL huge domainers who use gmail as their personal and business email. A gmail account does not equate to a scammer. Not saying I agree with it or trust free mail but what happened to you is not a scam, rather a waste of your typing after the initial report of a couple emails known to charge back.

Read into this a little or as much as you want.

Better yet, read the whole thread.

Beginning with the scam that was perpetrated on domainsite (dot) com.

And that scammer being exposed and identified on domainsite.

And that scammer going onto another forum and offering to buy domains with at $1000 a pop.

And that scammer was exposed on that forum before he/she could perpetrate the scam there.

And I came on here to alert those that may not be aware of what is going on and to inform members someone who happens to coincidently uses gmail (and changes gmail email addresses).

Wasn't that swell?



So me coming on here to relay that there are some new scams in town is like, well...like you coming on here and saying you think another domain is stolen.

Its kind of like, you know...not all domains that change hands are stolen?

And not all domains that you report as stolen were your domains stolen...so why report them as stolen if they were not yours?


So by your definition a scam is not a scam worth reporting until the scam happens to me?



And I'm glad you'll have me know there are SEVERAL huge domainers who use gmail as their personal and business email.

It more or less me alerting other members to exercising caution when dealing with unknown domainers who use a gmail or a hotmail.

Please, save your pseudo detective work for another case, Sherlock.

Originally Posted by Carter

Never heard these 2 names in Italian...are mispelled because the right name is Achille in Italian not Achilla.
Genisa idem.
So this scammer don't know the language.

Said so, I've see many strange coincidences on DNF in the last few months...the last is that thread where a guy said scammers trying to send transfer emails don't request so scammers reading us.

Agree never deal with ppl use gmail or hotmail accounts...but I also say is better to keep deals more privately is possible to raise our security.
With this economic crisis many people are broke and they trying to rise some cash scam us.

I don't know If I'm the only to received this, but I found every day in my mail 5/6 phishing attempts.

Never happened to me before.

I actually get very good traffic on Genisa (and $$$), as a typo for Genesis and Genius according to stats.

How they arrive at those typos and beyond me.

And Achille - the same thing...a typo for Achilles?

Originally Posted by hina

That person must be really stupid to send you two similar emails in such a short time. Maybe it's just a bot?

The changing of gmail accounts would have to be intentional and by a person to register them. So doubtful they are by a bot.

Whether it is one person or not involved is hard to know.

I actually responded to the first one (Genisa inquiry) that it was for sale and I would be interested in their offer (seeing that they said they would make an offer.

I never heard back from them however I did get the same email the next day on a different name using the same text.

With the recent news of domains purchased and then charged back and the other episodes I mentioned, we may be talking about the same (or not) individual or group (or not) that are all attempting to buy domains and charge back the payment or even using stolen cards or hacked PayPal accounts.

[TheLegendaryJP]

Bottom line...

You reported a scam that took place on another forum, great we appreciate it...

You went on to talk about your situation which is not a scam... you tied the two event together based on free email, sorry but that is hardly proof of anything. Now if you showed the same email used on the other forum to scam was the one who contacted you here at dnf I see the warning, otherwise it's nothing at all.

Please, save your pseudo detective work for another case, Sherlock.

I have to laugh at this, youre the one connecting dots THAT DO NOT EXIST TO YOU AT ALL or dnforum and you get sarcastic with me lol Ya thanks for the big warning about people with gmail we'll all sleep better tonight. Its clear the 2 who contacted you were looking to buy names and pretending to have a use, nothing more.

Not much else to say really you either get it or you don't.

[Doc Com]

Originally Posted by TheLegendaryJP

I have to laugh at this, youre the one connecting dots THAT DO NOT EXIST TO YOU AT ALL or dnforum and you get sarcastic with me lol Ya thanks for the big warning about people with gmail we'll all sleep better tonight. Its clear the 2 who contacted you were looking to buy names and pretending to have a use, nothing more.

Not much else to say really you either get it or you don't.

Um. Sherlock.

Connecting dots and alerting others to potential scams and how to prevent scams.

You seem to be putting more into the innocence of a gmail or hotmail account when it is known that these are prime for such a thing, are they not?

Did I ever imply that all people who have a gmail or hotmail account are scammers?

Let me go back and check if I made that assertion...

Nope. Sorry. I didn't.

And all of a sudden I have to defend the reporting of potential scam techniques to you, your honor?

Seems to me you are reading more into it by pointing out to me that not all people with a gmail account are scammers.

No shit sherlock? You mean even my very own gmail account is safe from being called a scammer's hideaway?

Wow, I can't wait until you report a "possible", "potential" domain theft that, EGAD! did not happen to you.

I mean, it was just a couple of people wanting the same domain name, right?

Sorry, but it is you who is giving me a great laugh.

[TheLegendaryJP]

Originally Posted by Doc Com

Sorry, but it is you who is giving me a great laugh.

Really, I am making you laugh ?

After further review I believe in your case a theif may do you a huge favor by stealing your names, if I were you I wouldn't complain...save your renewal fee's.

[Doc Com]

Originally Posted by TheLegendaryJP

Really, I am making you laugh ?

After further review I believe in your case a theif may do you a huge favor by stealing your names, if I were you I wouldn't complain...save your renewal fee's.

Wow.

So with me summing up just reminding members to be:

keenly aware of who you are dealing with,

their rep here on the forum,

how long they have been a member,

and what email addresses they are using.

is a totally unnecessary measure according to you and the RCMP manual?


So you have deduced that me attempting to warn others of potential fraud or scam is a waste of time.


And the RCMP manual tells you how to see inside my entire portfolio? All 5K+ of them.

Due to me attempting to sell names you have deduced that?

God, you're frigging, like, psychic!


Please.

Seriously,

get over your self.

As they say on the street -

you aint all that.

[Raider]

Originally Posted by TheLegendaryJP

Really, I am making you laugh ?

After further review I believe in your case a theif may do you a huge favor by stealing your names, if I were you I wouldn't complain...save your renewal fee's.

..... LMAO

I needed a good laugh... Thanks JP!


As for buyers using a Gmail address, Never assume that just because they use one, they are scammers. I sold a 2K domain last month to a guy in Ireland that knew very little about the Internet... I took him for a scammer just because he dragged his feet in Escrow for over 3 weeks and insisted on using a credit card... To make a long story short, he got frustrated and turned it over to a web development agency to close the deal, The guy was loaded and owned multiple businesses.