Blogger Identity Theft | Bloggers Lair | Yakezie Forums

So here's a new situation I've found myself in and was wondering if anyone else has experienced this.

Over the last few months, I've been getting random voicemails saying I applied for affiliate programs and that they needed more information. I never bothered returning these, since I had not applied.

This week, I received the same inquiry in the form of an email, and decided to write back for more information.

Apparently, someone has cloned my domain name (fiscalfizzle.com) as their own (flscalfizzle.com – note the letter difference) and redirected the latter to the former to cover it up. They set up a bogus email at their own domain name and started signing up for all kinds of affiliate programs with their own Tax ID.

I have what I think is this person's IP address.

So a few questions/comments:

• I've contacted the host to take down this fraudulent website.
• I've contacted the company whose IP originated the requests to notify them one of their employees is up to no good.
• I'm guessing once whoever this is gets an account, they change the address and information to their own–but should I be worried? What good is an affiliate account for someone if it's based on MY website? I don't get what they're after.
• Has anyone else experienced this?
• Do you have any suggestions?

Post edited 7:46 pm – July 15, 2013 by Wojo

Here's one piece of information I was able to find:

Forum Post

It makes sense; my website acting as a front so they get approved. It sounds like more affiliate networks are calling to verify the applications though, so I will need to start paying attention to these phone calls.

And I'm still following up with the domain registrar, though the IP for the "company" where these applications came from is probably just a fake routing point.

Turns out this goes pretty far. These people are even impersonating me on LinkedIn!

Getting all this false information shut down/taken down is a lot harder than I would have thought. I guess the criminals get the benefit of the doubt when it comes to identity theft!