singlefile

I have a .co.uk domain name via a particular registrar and it is not due to expire until 2006

I have never had any contact about the name since registration and during a recent check of the forwarding and whois data pertaining to my collection, I found that whilst the registrant name is correct, the tag has been changed from that of my registrar!!!

The company that now have the tag for it, is one that I have hitherto not heard of, but a quick check tonight revealed that they happen to host the '.com' variant of the name - so it looks like a clear case of their hijacking of my .co.uk

What would you chaps recommend I do?

stevie

Contact your current TAG holder and ask them to release the domain to a trusted tag you know or use. Your current TAG holder should not object to doing this. If they do you can contact Nominet directly and they will move the TAG by request of the registrant.

from a forum point of view.. would be interested to know who the registrar was??

singlefile

Thank you.

I complained to Nominet and they sent me a standard £15 tag change info email ... the numpties. So, I have sent a reply to Nominet asking them to *kindly bother to read my email properly before replying* this time.

I have also tonight emailed the current and unrequested TAG holder, asking them to change the domain back to the 'My Registrar's' TAG. I further asked upon what authority the TAG was changed away from 'My Registrar's' as it certainly wasn't anything to do with me. I await their reply with interest.

I'll probably let you know [via a PM] who the current TAG holder is, once this has been resolved.

domainer

If you are saying that someone has changed a 123-REG tag without your permission then this is serious as I was under the impression that only the registrant could do this within the 123reg control panel.

Please keep us updated

singlefile

This morning, 'My Registrar's' informed me that they changed it because they 'received a TAG change request fax,' seemingly from me, but quite obviously not! I've asked them to confirm the address on the fax that they claim to hav received, the number that it was sent from and produce the faxed document, as I wish to see the signature ... no reply yet.

I know the name and address of the corresponding '.com' owner who, almost certainly will be found to be behind this, so a report to the Police is not out of the question.

I'll keep updating this post as things unfold.

domainer

So you are saying 123-reg acted on a fax? I find this worrying and bizarre as domain owners have this type of control within the control panel.

Please keep us updated

singlefile

The registrar did indeed appear to act on a fax. I received no confirmatory email asking for approval, nor anything signifying that the transfer was to proceed. The first that I knew about it, was when I checked the whois and fowarding settings for all of my domains recently. You never know, this could have happened to one or more of you and you've yet to find about it.

Amongst other things, I'll be asking my registrant for assurances that their procedures are tightened ...

domaingenius

Perhaps it is someone at 1-2-3 that is hoping to benefit himself in one way or tother ?.

DG

ratboy

Thats not good. It is worrying how easy some of these proceedures are to crack. If they can do that, can they alter your admin address, apply to Nominet and then change owner of the domain?

For those holding valuable domains its a worring prospect.

singlefile

Exactly - we're at more risk than we think. Unless you check the forwarding regularly, you wouldn't have a handle on anything naughty going on, for what potentially could be a long, long time.

I reckon that this fraudulent gobsh/te has cost me some £2-£3 per day [in 'lost' Sedo income as it's a decent traffic name] for a period anywhere up to the 16 months since I reg'd it and forwarded to Sedo ... perhaps some £1,000 'lost,' or rather, not earned, as a result.

BTW, the latest news is that my Registrar, "...cannot find the Transfer request fax" !!!