The scammers are really going for it again. They are illegally using the business details of others to register .au domains. This can obviously cause reputational damage to innocent parties e.g. scammers can put up a fake eCommerce sites and rip off the public.
And in an ironic twist, they are obviously checking out the registrant details of some of us domain investors who purchase domains on the expired auctions.
Hat Tip No 1
Early this morning I got a call from David at Drop. He had noticed some strange domains that had been registered (using one of my entities) in the past day or two. These were domains I would never in a million years register because they were typos of major brands.
He deleted them immediately, and because it was within a 3 day window, these domains will not appear on any purge list. That again is another good reason to have a good relationship with your registrar. Thank you David.
Hat Tip No 2
This goes to John in the auDA Compliance team. He had proactively been watching out for these scammers, and taking action to policy delete domains. If you look at tomorrow’s expired auctions, you will see a few PD’s. Domains like Gogl.com.au! Plenty more to follow in the next week. Good on you John.
The Scammers
One name in particular stands out. That is “Jurgen Neeme”. He mainly operates with the email address hello@thedomain.io – another is jurgen@opus.ws. He uses the details of unknowing genuine businesses for his eligibility.
Another common denominator is that he seems to use auDA accredited registrars that have an overseas presence.
This guy and his cohorts have some form. This is just one WIPO decision – along with some choice quotes below:
By redirecting various Disputed Domain Names to fraudulent websites displaying fraudulent news articles aimed at convincing Internet users to fill in their personal information and deposit an amount of money, the Respondents clearly intended to profit from user confusion with the Complainants and their trademarks.
Finally, in multiple previous decisions under the Policy, the Respondent, Jurgen Neeme, has been found to have made bad faith registrations and use of domain names that were identical or confusingly similar to known trademarks …
What to do
If you want to make certain that you only have the domain names you have registered, then you can ask for a Registry Database Search from auDA.
Better to be safe than sorry!
Great article Ned, very important information for us all!
How will auDA, Consumers, ACCC, Police, Lawyers and Authorities actually monitor the proposed new direct registration .au domain name extension when no rules for registrants apply except “Australian Presence” which will easily be faked or loopholes used of an Australian P.O. Box, Virtual Office etc.
Let’s not forget the ex auDA Management and ex Board orchestrated & allowed over 900 foreigners to stack auDA Membership by using a few of the same Australian P.O Boxes and Registrar generic emails…that set a precedent what auDA classed as “Australian Presence”.
https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/auda_membership_irregularities
Does the new auDA Management and new auDA Board understand what they have voted on to implement for new .au policy rules, .au direct registration, conflicted names process with the risks and problems that will actually create?
Scammers and problems for the .au namespace, registrants, consumers, national security, will increase massively as will many other major issues.
If auDA can’t control what we have already is will be impossible they can claim to have any chance to have “better cyber security”, “better privacy” and “less problems” with what they will soon implement unless they take a step back and do real consultation not fake rigged processes we have seen so far.
FYI If auDA hasn’t realised Australia, consumers and government are actually under cyber attack on a daily basis by China they need to be removed as .au namespace managers.
Plus add to the risk some at auDA and Afilias still want Chinese IDN’s for the .au namespace to be implemented. WTF! Wake up and focus on what we have already to fix!
https://afilias.com.au/newsroom/blog-posts/idns-and-development-multilingual-dns-au
China Government and Criminals Hacking of Australia and the .au namespace is real and happening every day.
I have it on very good authority the NSW Premier and key staff got 4 hours sleep last night due to increased China attacks on NSW Government last night and today and the PM has been asked NOT to discuss or “showboat” it to the media today.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-20/why-australia-acted-on-china-hacking-cyber-attack-scott-morrison/12376700
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/20/mike-pompeo-blasts-chinas-coercion-of-australia-as-cyber-attack-likened-to-parliament-house-hack
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-46096768
“1000 Australian websites taken down after China-based criminal plot revealed”
https://www.afr.com/technology/more-than-1000-australian-websites-taken-down-following-chinaled-criminal-plot-20161007-grxa2o
“Over 1000 unauthorised .au domains deleted as regulatory body doubles down”
https://www.smartcompany.com.au/startupsmart/advice/business-planning/over-1000-unauthorised-au-domains-deleted-as-regulatory-body-doubles-down/
“auDA orders 1025 bogus .au domains be deleted. Audit uncovers sites with fake business details.”
https://www.itnews.com.au/news/auda-orders-1025-bogus-au-domains-be-deleted-439035
So you can be assured there will be many more scammers active in the .au namespace unless auDA 3.0 new CEO and new auDA Board look more seriously at the risks and not just the extra revenue.
Do Afilias and auDA Registrars even care of the risk and damage to the namesopace reputation or Consumers if they themselves actually sell more names to the scammers anyway?
Come on Rosemary Sinclair new auDA CEO, Alan Cameron new auDA Chairperson, new auDA Board dont lose your credibility and ethics like the last auDA management and Board did repeatedly.