Mis-use of address for illegal website

["Bignell, Russell" <rbignell@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear ICANN,

I refer to your recent report:

'.......there are currently no requirements for registrars or registries to 
pro-actively monitor or verify registration data for accuracy. If a
registrar is notified of an inaccuracy in data, RAA 3.7.8 provides that the 
registrar will take reasonable steps to investigate the claim
of inaccuracy and correct the information if needed. If data is found to be 
intentionally false registrars are not obligated to cancel the
registration.'

Wandsworth Council has fell victim to the lack of controls/checks for 
registering domain names. Recently, we were informed by a music representative 
of the O2 in London that 10 websites were falsely registering illegal ticket 
selling websites to a Wandsworth Council building used for vulnerable people 
(daycare). Not only was this potentially detrimental to the local authorities' 
reputation but also could cause disruption at the address as victims of the 
ticket site visited our address to reclaim the tickets that would never arrive 
despite their payments. In addition the thousands of music fans that had bought 
these tickets in good faith would be left high and dry.

These websites have since been linked with hundreds of other similar illegal 
sites with hundreds of thousands of pounds being fraudulently taken through 
them.

Surely it is about time that the registration process for domain names is 
improved with mandatory documentation requirements and verification processes 
in place. Although this may not solve the problem completely it would assist. 
If you use the words 'COLDPLAY' in the registration of a domain, checks should 
be done to verify if the brand holder (coldplay) authorise the use.

This could be an automatic process similar to the vero system adopted by Ebay 
based on a simple keyword search.

We are making it too easy for the fraudsters!

Regards


Russell Bignell
Trading Standards Officer
Wandsworth Trading Standards

Tel. 0208 871 6179
Fax. 0208 871 7702
email: rbignell@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Wandsworth Council
Environmental & Community Services Department
PO Box 47095
London
SW18 9AQ

IMPORTANT:
Confidentiality:  This email and its attachments are intended for
the above named only and may be confidential.  If they have come to
you in error you must take no action based on them, nor must you copy
or show them to anyone. Please reply to this email and highlight the
error.

Please visit the Council's website at: www.wandsworth.gov.uk