Domain name registration scam by phone?

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Glenn Fleishman <glenn () glennf com>
Date: July 26, 2006 6:49:01 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Domain name registration scam by phone?

Hi, Dave,

I thought your readers might be interested to know that there is  
apparently a domain name registration transfer scam underway that  
uses phone calls. I haven't figured out the details, but perhaps  
someone on this list knows more.

A few days ago, I received what I recognized from the old long- 
distance "slamming" days as a verification call. A firm whose name I  
didn't catch asked me if I would verify my registration information  
-- address, primarily -- for a domain that I knew I had registered at  
a firm other than the name they provided. I growled, "put me on your  
do not call list" and hung up. But I regretted not obtaining more  
information.

I mentioned this in passing on a writers' list I belong to, as I've  
just completed the draft of an ebook on registering and managing  
domains for a general audience, and several of the list members said  
they had received the same call or several calls, and recognized them  
as scams before confirming.

Now in the phone slamming days, stating your name and address was  
used as "proof" by the slammers that you'd agreed to transfer your  
long-distance service. That abuse was solved partly by requiring a  
third-party to handle confirmation, and I believe that's when the  
slamming stopped or slowed. I was slammed at least three times (and  
none of them had I spoken my confirmation, mind you) in the long- 
distance days.

What's this about? I just don't see where having a voice record of me  
stating my name and address helps a domain name scammer. Is it  
identity theft using this as a tool?



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