If you're thinking about getting your own web domain for your blog you might have noticed the ad campaign being run by an outfit called GoDaddy.
For a modest sum they'll reserve your chosen domain name and, with that, you're up and running. My computer savvy daughter and her even more computer savvy fiance talked me into setting up with GoDaddy several months ago. (It's a sign of getting old. I did it because they said it was a good idea. Go figure.)
Then, a couple of months ago, I received an e-mail from GoDaddy confirming my transfer of my domains to some Rios guy from Detroit, Missouri. (did you know there was such a place, I didn't)
I wrote back and said I hadn't given Rios anything. I never knew him and, to the best of my knowledge, had never been in Missouri either. I said it was a scam and demanded that they restore those domains to me.
GoDaddy demanded that I send them a faxed copy of my driver's licence, front and back. When I asked why and how that could possibly be relevant, they simply dug in their heels. I'm not going to give some stranger a photostatic copy of my driver's licence for no apparent good reason. That sounds like another scam to me.
And so I've lost both domains without so much as a refund. And, here's the thing. This character, Rios, who supposedly got them by transfer from GoDaddy, has done nothing with them. Both sites remain down. The only thing that comes up is an ad for GoDaddy.
My best guess is that I've either been scammed by GoDaddy or GoDaddy was naively scammed by Rios for the purpose of taking my web domains down. Needless to say, Rios isn't returning my e-mail.
Anybody know if Lockheed Martin has an operation in Detroit, Missouri?
20 comments:
Mound, too many are after your personal information. Facebook sells that information and so does Google. GoDaddy sounds even worse. One has to guard one's personal information on the net as there are too many predators.
Well, look on the bright side.
Now you've got something to hold over your son in law's head. :-)
I just tweeted a link to your blog, and @GoDaddy replied to me:
"@torontodan Is that your blog post? Do you have account access still, just the name missing from it? Did you email Undo@ or another dept?"
and
"@torontodan Please follow back and DM details, if that is your post. Would like to learn more. ^C"
Anon, am I correct that they have a link to this blog? In other words, can they leave a comment for me if they want to discuss this? If so I'm waiting, eagerly waiting to hear from them.
Do you have account access still, just the name missing from it? Did you email Undo@ or another dept? We are on Twitter and Facebook too. Feel free to private message us the details if you prefer to not post publicly.
- Colby GoDaddy Social Media Team
Obviously they have seen the blog, but it might be helpful if you had some contact info here.
They are now tweeting at me repeatedly:
"@torontodan We definitely take pride in all of our customer support, product and service. There are many intricacies with domains, we have"
"@torontodan processes in place to protect domains (protected registration, 2 step account authentication login, pin numbers for"
"@torontodan phone support, etc.) If those processes are not followed or the account still gets taken over we can help, but do require"
"@torontodan the info we asked for to verify the account holder identity. Domains are like virtual property & we take security very seriously"
Colby - yes, I dealt with your "undo" department. They stipulated I had to fax them a copy of my driver's licence or the domains would be transferred. I was going to comply but then realized it was a nonsensical demand.
Colby, I spent years as a litigator and I can tell you that my driver's licence was utterly irrelevant to this business. That could prove nothing that wasn't evident from my e-mail address, the one I used in acquiring those domains. That was ample proof of my identity. Yet when someone insists on personal data like that in a situation in which it is utterly irrelevant you can't be faulted for thinking it dodgy.
The domains, which should be all you need, were www.disaffectedlib.com and www.thedisaffectedlib.com.
The information that should have been forthcoming should have been from GoDaddy to me. It was my property that I had paid for that was misappropriated with the apparent assistance of your firm. GoDaddy facilitated Rios' obvious intention of taking down my sites. Why, I don't know. The swine won't respond to my e-mail.
Look up those accounts and you'll have my data including my e-mail address. That should be all you need.
Thanks for the information and getting back to us. For our security and policies the email on file is not enough. If the person was able to transfer the domain away, they would have had to have account access. For us and our security measures we require the ID or other personal/business info to help verify it is you making the request and not a compromised account, or other. If you reply to undo@ with the information they can assist in getting the domain back. I understand this may be frustrating for you currently, it is what we need in order to assist you and keep your domain safe and secure. After this procedure is finished we recommend changing your call in pin, last 6 of cc on file and your password. Also update you email password in case that was also compromised. We recommend this to help retain account intergrity. Sorry I could not be of more assistance, but Undo@ is the correct area to handle this. - Colby GoDaddy Social Media Team
It isn't diffult to understand why people want to remain annom. Yesterday, a person..male...was given a suspended sentence for making threats on Facebook toward another. Why? The Judge said it is up to the schools to teach what is ethical while using these sites. Don't make me laugh! Facebook doesn't have an obligation to what they allow to be published nor parents the responsibility toward their children? The garbage that is going on electronically is both socially unacceptable and sadistic. Sites mentioned in this blog should not be allowed to operate nor does any government have the right to spy upon ordinary citizens.
Colby, I'm not sending a copy of my driver's licence. You don't need it and it's not going to happen. That's information to which you have no right.
Why don't you give me the information Rios used? Send it in an e-mail to me. What other dealings have you had with this guy? I did review this possible hack with my bank security and they're comfortable it wasn't a problem on my end.
Rios is the problem. You dealt with him. You did his bidding and wrongly transferred those domains so that he could take them down. Get his driver's licence and send a copy to me.
Do you have any way of knowing that "Colby" isn't "Rios"?
They may both be identity vampires.
Go Daddy my be an identity vampire with a mission statement, for that matter.
Almost everything is a scam of one sort or other in this world.
wow, thats crazy, but hackers are very sophistacated....so I agree with Dana...you might be dealing with scammers, pretending to be go daddy. Good for you for not caving and sending ID.
and some major bad reviews...(just google reviews and there were alot of stories, forbes gave them a negative write up too)
http://www.whoishostingthis.com/hosting-reviews/go-daddy/#page-2
you are better off without them.
Comment 2:25 Absolutely the right thing to request.
Dana and deb Scott...you both are correct.
At the moment, I have a request under my name Anyong. Email follow-up comments to webstammy9@gmail.comm. I used two mms on purpose. It has bever appeared before.
Thanks, everyone. There are several ways they can verify my identity without compelling me to divulge personal identification data. Why would they demand a photostatic copy of my driver's licence? That could be handy given the other personal information they already have on file.
I'm simply unable to accept what they've said. It's nonsensical. They can't even give a rational explanation for why they need it.
Lesson learned. Fortunately I didn't waste a huge amount of money on this outfit.
I don't have my own domain these days, but when I did, I remember when it was about to expire I was assailed by scammers using all kinds of thinly veiled threats and asking outrageous fees to renew. I would have just renewed it with the same outfit that I originally registered it with, but decided I didn't really need it at all.
These parasites seem to troll the intertoobz searching for domains about to expire - there are so many kinds of phishing, maybe more than the species of fish in the sea, especially since we are reducing the numbers daily!
Mound: have you read the novel 419 by Will Ferguson?
Maybe Colby gets a necklace if he has to refund your money.
Yikes. I bought my domains from a reputable Canadian registrar and paid a little more. After reading about Mound's saga, I'm glad I did. Apparently the extra cost is for security and integrity.
Hey Chris, no I haven't read 419 but I assume it's about the Nigerians. I have, however, read (bought) something else by Ferguson only I can't remember the title right now. It must be around here somewhere.
It's inconceivable that godaddy would be contacting you at this site if everything was above board.
That said, they have a reputation as a shady company with zero customer service populated by a bunch of back-slapping dudes with egos so big they obscure their vision and further assist their already testosterone-addled 'brains' in mistaking the serial string of fuckups they constantly wade through for careers.
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