Did you know you can easily be targeted for domain name theft?
Have you been victim to domain theft and don’t know to get your domain back? Have you paid to buy a domain and don’t have access to it because someone domain name hijacked it? Have your previous domains been hijacked as well and you don’t know what to do? This is called the common law tort of conversion or fraudulent conversion, which exposes you to liability for damages in a civil lawsuit. This applies when someone intentionally interferes with personal property belonging to another person. If you have been victim to domain theft, this article will clarify what you can do and what precautions to take moving forward.
What now?
First and foremost, it is crucial to identify who has taken over your domain. If you purchased your domains you are the sole owner of it. Domains are much like property ownership, once you pay for it, it is yours; therefore, if someone attempts to hijack your domain account it is considered illegal and unauthorized. Identifying and locating the individual who has hijacked your domain name and attempted domain theft, is significant because filing a complaint against the known individual is the next step; this would be to submit an abuse report to the company the domain names were bought from. There might be a possibility the company can help get your domain names back but most companies are not liable for any domain theft, but there’s no harm in reporting the abuse anyways. Finally, lawyer up. It is vital to gain the help of an attorney because domain theft charges are punishable as a misdemeanor by up to one year in county jail and $5,000 in fines. When charged as a felony, the individual guilty can be punished with 3 years in state prison and $10,000 in fines. Many individuals committing the crime do not know the seriousness of domain theft and the consequences they can face in the future.
Precautions
One important precaution to take when purchasing a domain is to enable/purchase Domain Theft Protection. This helps ensure that the domain name(s) you have bought remain safe from illegal domain name transfers. After an individual gains control of someone’s domain name wrongfully, they can make unauthorized changes and transfer the domain illegally to someone else. Illegal transfers are commonly made after one commits domain theft and transfers are mainly their intentions. When purchasing domain names, research should be done to investigate whether the company who is selling the domain name is trustworthy and protected. Your domain name will most likely be protected if the company itself is trustworthy and reliable. Taking these precautions can prevent this type of theft from occurring.
If your last resort is to lawyer up, we handle civil cases as such and can help you get your domain name(s) back! To read more on Fraudulent conversion laws you can click on the link posted below:
https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title18.2/chapter5/section18.2-115/
Fraudulent Online Identity Act
You can also refer to our website regarding civil fraud cases
