SCAM: Domain Registry Support

September 14th, 2005

So I get a phone call last night from somebody named “Michael”, with Domain Registry Support. He wants to confirm my contact information for one of my domain names, which is plenty suspicious enough to get my Spidey-Sense tingling. I try to get him to justify why I need to give him any information, but here’s a guy with the worst telemarketing script ever, he just keeps repeating that he needs to confirm my contact information. I decided to ask why, and he says they have very important information they are going to send me. Well I ask him why can’t he just tell me over the phone, and he assures me it’s an entire 1 page fax of information! OMG! So much information, the phone line would melt down if he tried to tell me over the phone. What kind of information I ask? Changes to the internet! OMG! The internet is changing! I assure him that I read Google News all the time, and I’m sure they will do a very good job reporting on any changes to the internet. It was about this time that J got home from work, I whisper it’s a scam, and she asks me why I’m still on the phone. Good question, kind of like talking to Mormons at the door, what’s the point? In any case, “Michael” soon hung up, after about 5 minutes on the line. I’ve never met a guy with an Indian accent that thick before named Michael, and I bet I never will - did he choose the same name as mine to sound non-threatening?

Anyways, avoid these guys like the plague, and if you want to have some fun give them a call: 866-383-0986 was the number that came up on my cell, and they have a toll-free number on their website which I won’t link to for fear of generating them any business.

God bless the Internets!

Filed under Life etc.

15 Comments

  • The Dumping Ground

    December 12th, 2005 at 3:39 pm

    Phone Phishing Scam from Domain Registry Support

    A few minutes ago, I received a phone call, and the number came up as “Unavailable.” I’m not one of those crazy types who screens their phone calls, so I picked up.
    On the other end is a man with a thick Indian accent. He claims to be calling from…

  • David Weinberger

    December 14th, 2005 at 4:13 pm

    Just got the same call, except the Indian-accented voice claimed to be Kevin, not Michael. He was calling about a site I’d just transferred from one registrar to another. Same pathetic script. He was calling me to “confirm” the whois info. I refused. It has to be a scam.

    Long live the Internets!

  • Another testimony...

    January 23rd, 2006 at 1:54 pm

    Yup… same scum bag Indian called me. Before he could get to his speech I lied and said ” You have called a Doctors office… Please stop calling here.. ”

    He blurps out ” But I am not a telemarketer… I am not selling anything … ”

    So I said again… You have called a Doctors Office… please stop calling here…

    Soe blurps out again ” But I am not a telemarketer… I am not selling anything … ”

    So I said ‘… then fuck off and stop calling me you moron “….

    That was the last time I heard from 866-383-0986

    Personally I think the police should be shutting these guys down. Basically they are attempting to SLAM expiring domain names over to their company by giving the false impression that they are your domain registrar.

    They are hoping that they will contact some flunky in an organization who has no idea who the registrar is for their domain names.

    Now… what I want to know is how they got my home phone number and matched it up against my domain name ? All my domains are with dotster.com and they do NOT have my correct phone number.

    However, I did once mistakenly registrar a domain with Network Solutions and I used my home number. I eventually let that domain name lapse. But that phone number doesn not match up to any current domains I have.

    So I am at a lost to figure out that part of the mystery.

    Oooh.. but it was fun yelling at this moron and having him trying to persuade me that he ‘wasn’t selling or telemarketing’…

    .

  • MykeXero

    January 26th, 2006 at 5:53 pm

    i just got this phone call but no one replied to me. Oh well. Very wierd.

  • spencer

    January 30th, 2006 at 11:22 am

    I have a theory about this. I called the 866 number back and got a recording that said in a womans accented voice “please dial the number extension which you want to monitor”

    I’ve also been receiving calls from +001819 - info here:
    http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff130007.htm
    and here:
    http://www.damnscams.com/2005/10/28/001819/

    I recently changed some domain names to godaddy.com, so I think they are the rat bastards providing the information to whoever is buying it from them.

  • msykes

    January 30th, 2006 at 11:27 am

    Interesting thought about godaddy.com - I have most of my names registered with them as well. Anybody else who reads this, please comment on the registrar you use for the domain in question!

  • KC

    July 22nd, 2006 at 4:17 am

    I got the same call today from an ‘unavailable’ number on my cell phone. I normally do not answer those but I was curious since it was the second ‘unavailable’ call today.

    I could not believe that this guy (from India — I asked!) knew my first name, my domain and my cell phone! I used to be registered with network solutions but recently switched to godaddy — and my cell phone is not connected in any way to my domain name (I believe it may have been when it was with net. sol. but that was a couple of years ago).

    The funny thing was this indian dude, when I asked him WHAT he wanted, said; ‘I like the sound of your voice!’

    At that point I quickly hung up thinking it was an obscene phone call! He didn’t call back so I guess he did not like my voice that much afterall…

  • Jill

    July 28th, 2006 at 5:07 pm

    Ok, I just got a call (July 28, 2006 @ 4:15 pm PST) from this number 866-383-0986 with Unknown Name on my caller ID. Again it was man with an accent saying he needed to confirm my domain (I don’t have a domain). He didn’t want a fax number though, he wanted my address! I told him he had the wrong number and he protested still when I told him to Remove Me from His Call List and I hanged up. So, he still wanted my address even though I didn’t have a domain for him to verify and even though I told him he must have the wrong number…. Sounds very fishy. As my number is registered on the https://www.donotcall.gov/ registery, I promptly filed a complaint…

  • Trayner

    August 17th, 2006 at 9:53 am

    Interesting: I’ve gotten 2 calls from the same number, but there’s never a response when I answer. I also have my domains registered with godaddy….

  • Nation

    August 23rd, 2006 at 12:30 pm

    I missed a call from this number a few days ago so when they called back I was prepared. Told them I knew all about the scam, called the guy a jackass and hung up. He calls me back a minute later (thick indian accent):

    Him: “deed you call me a jackass!?”
    Me: “Yes I did”
    Him: “What if I go to fuck your mother”
    Me: “Go fuck yourself. Ever thought what it would be like to earn an honest living?”
    etc

    Man I wish I had a recording of this guy. He was so pissed and trying to curse at me but his english was so poor that it sounded ridiculous.

    Oh by the way I am also (unhappily) registered with godaddy.

  • blah

    August 24th, 2006 at 11:40 am

    Try giving them these #’s:
    CIA Fax # (703) 482-1739
    FBI NYC field office # (212) 384-1000
    FBI Knoxville,TN field office # (865) 544-0751
    FCC Fax # 1-866-418-0232

    According to all of the information that I have read here and other places, these guys are affiliated with these companies:

    Media Direct Marketing Consultants
    1822 North Bend Drive
    Knoxville, Tn 37909

    Domain Registry Support
    11 Avenue of the Americas #60
    New York, NY 10011-8436

    Teleglobe International Corp 800-567-1950
    http://www.vsnlinternational.com
    http://www.stcassociates.com
    Vashi, Navi Mumbai, India

    collectcallsecret.com
    maktoob.com
    collectcallsecret@maktoob.com

    In any case, those four #’s should take care of them!

  • Bev

    September 11th, 2006 at 11:30 pm

    I can’t stop them from calling me several times a day - HELP!!!

  • Hogarth

    September 14th, 2006 at 11:05 am

    Just got my first call from these guys, and coincidentally, I just let a godaddy domain name expire.

    The caller seemed unimpressed with my Apu impression: “Thank you, go screw yourself.” There simply is no humor in telemarketing, I suppose.

  • msykes

    September 18th, 2006 at 12:27 pm

    Bev: You should be able to have your phone company/cell phone provider/whoever block out their number. It might cost money, but could be worth it if it’s a real problem.

  • Aussy

    March 23rd, 2007 at 12:54 pm

    OMG. Just found this site looking for anything on the phone call I got yesterday. They’re still at it, or someone like it is doing the same thing. The number came up as unavailable. They knew my name and my .com, and said they had made some changes that would affect my domain. They wanted my fax number. I am not in the habit of giving out anything over the phone, unless I can call them back after doing research. Had funny feeling and asked them who they were. Well, I said, my domain has nothing to do with you and to contact my service provider. If it’s important, THEY can contact me and let me know. They wanted to know the support number for my provider. Well, I said, if you really had anything to do with anything that could affect my domain, you’d know that. What info are you talking about? That when they ended the phone call.
    Am I glad I trusted my gut and didn’t give out an iota of info to them. I really made it worth his time though: first the door bell rang and I had him hold, then my daughter needed something, he had to hold again. Then I had him repeat EVERYthing he said at least twice, since it was difficult to understand him. The call lasted over 15 min.

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