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A quick fix to GoDaddy invalid request errors

by — Domain Registrars 0 Comments

Getting invalid request errors? Trying going incognito.

Image of incognito mode in Google Chrome

I’ve recently run into a few errors at GoDaddy that required a call to my account rep, and I’ve learned a quick tip that can help resolve the errors.

When clicking through links to confirm contact updates while receiving domain names from another investor, I kept getting errors that read “Given request is invalid. If you feel this is incorrect please try again.”

I tried a couple of things to get it to work, including resubmitting my original request. But there’s a simpler solution to try first: use a private browsing window.

Apparently, these errors can be caused by caching. If you copy the link in the email to a private browser window, such as incognito in Google Chrome, it usually resolves the problem. It worked for me.

A synopsis of new top level domains

by — Policy & Law 3 Comments

PIR’s take is simple but on point.

Logo for .NGO, a new top level domain for non-profits

Like other new TLDs, .ngo domains aren’t exactly flying off the shelf.

What is the future of new top level domain names? Is there a tipping point when they go mainstream? Is it just a matter of time? Or, perhaps, they will continue to be sideline players in the domain name ecosystem.

Last week I wrote about Public Interest Registry’s (PIR) annual report. The non-profit operates .org, as well as a handful of new top level domains: .ngo, .ong, and several internationalized domain names.

On the one hand, it’s a lot like Verisign in that promoting the inherent value of legacy top level domains is to its benefit. On the other hand, it made a bet on new top level domains that hasn’t panned out.

.Ngo and .ong have just over 3,000 registrations each. Its internationalized domain names have even fewer.

PIR had big ambitions for new top level domains. And it’s current CEO was the founder of the biggest new TLD company, Donuts.

But like others, PIR has been disappointed with the adoption of new TLDs.

It’s with this background in mind that I found PIR’s take on new top level domains in its report interesting. After providing background on new TLDs and that they have been available for many years, the report states:

It must be noted, however, that relatively few of these new gTLDs have achieved significant market share.

Even amongst the relatively large new gTLDs, a number of these relied on free registrations to grow their base of domains under management (“DUM”). In many cases, as each registration anniversary passes a significant percentage of their base does not renew. Not only does this put pressure on the new registry operators, it also raises doubt about the long-term value of many new top-level domains–which in turn depresses registrations and renewals, further straining the viability of these extensions.

That’s a fair take from a company that bet on new top level domains.

 

Feds start forfeiture proceedings against 500 domains used in prostitution ring

by — Policy & Law 9 Comments

Whois and registrar records connect the dots between domain names used in prostitution crime.

An FBI seizure notice on a domain name

The United States government has filed an in rem action against 500 domain names for forfeiture that it says were used in prostitution and sex trafficking ring.

Over a period of six years, the conspirators paid over $25,000 to register the domains through Domain.com, the suit states. I reviewed the list of domains and found that they were almost all registered at either Domain.com or HiChina.

It’s interesting to read about how the FBI connected the dots between the domain names. It used as much publicly available Whois information as it could, while also connecting the dots using DomainTools and records from the registrars and hosts. Here’s the description from the FBI about how it uncovered the domain names used in the ring:

On or about November 2018, the FBI accessed publicly available information regarding twenty-five domains associated with the email address supermatchescort@gmail.com.

Using Domaintools—an open source tool that queries WHOIS records, passive Domain Name Service (DNS) data, IP addresses, hosting data, and other DNS information—
investigators learned that the twenty-five domains were hosted on IP address 64.50.176.48, along with hundreds of other domains.

Records from Domain.com revealed that for all twenty-five domain names, the subscriber was Weixuan Zhou, with an email address of rastait_mz@hotmail.com, a telephone number of 213-431-0920. The billing information for this account showed the card holder name as Weixuan Zhou and a billing address: ti yu lu no. 613 Guang Zhou, China.

Most of the other hundreds of domains hosted on the same IP address shared the same or similar registration information: registered to Weixuan Zhou through Domain.com, LLC, with historical registrant email information identified as bata_intl@hotmail.com or rastait_mz@hotmail.com.

Credit card activity shows Weixuan Zhou paying Domain.com for these domains from August 2012 to June 2018. Finanacial records for Zhou, from August 16, 2012 through June 1, 2018, show payments made via credit card to Domain.com totaling $11,202.04. One specific example shows that Zhou’s Wells Fargo credit card made multiple payments to Domain.com in September 2014. This credit card’s September 2014 balance was paid down from Weixuan Zhou’s Wells Fargo checking account. The source of these funds originated from cash deposits at banks in Texas, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and California.

80. Records from PayPal showed that beginning on or around February 15, 2018, and continuing through October 10, 2018, the PayPal account linked to rastait_mz@hotmail.com sent
147 transactions totaling $6,150.14 to Domain.com. The subpoena return also showed on or around January 31, 2016, and continuing through September 2017, the PayPal account linked to bata_intl@hotmail.com sent 169 transactions totaling $10,241.74 to Domain.com. The total payments sent to Domain.com from Zhou’s two PayPal accounts were approximately $16,391.88

 

 

Avoiding stolen domains with Josh Reason – DNW Podcast #245

by — Podcasts 2 Comments

A cautionary tale about stolen domain names.

dnw-podcastBuying a stolen domain name can lead to a heap of legal trouble, not to mention losing a lot of money. In this episode, I chat with domain investor Josh Reason about a stolen domain name he almost bought. He explains the due diligence that raised several red flags and how he confirmed the domain was stolen. Fortunately, the story has a happy ending.

Also: Patriotic domains, lawsuit update, .London, Afilias’ .org deal, and .GOP

This week’s sponsor: Name.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:45 — 20.7MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Email | RSS

Subscribe via Apple Podcasts to listen to the Domain Name Wire podcast on your iPhone or iPad, view on Google Play Music, or click play above or download to begin listening. (Listen to previous podcasts here.)

Facebook takes down fake cryptocurrency domain as Libra looms

by — Policy & Law 3 Comments

Site was used in phishing scheme.

Picture of mobile phone with Facebook Libra cryptocurrency logo and representations of bitcoin

Facebook has successfully taken down a fake site passing off as Facebook claiming to offer a cryptocurrency. The move comes as Facebook prepares its Libra cryptocurrency.

The company filed a cybersquatting complaint against FacebookToken(.)org and ICO-Facebook(.org).

While neither currently resolve to a website, Facebook’s attorneys noted that the first domain previously resolved to a website that showed Facebook’s logo with the words:

“The future is now – FACEBOOK TOKEN – FACEBOOK ICO!

FACEBOOK present FACEBOOK, the representative cryptocurrency of the FACEBOOK Blockchain.”

The domains were registered last year before Libra was announced.

It seems that FacebookToken(.)org was used as a phishing site and some browsers blocked users from visiting it.