For all the good of the internet, like probably any thing, place or activity, there is also a dark side. This article from Law.com looks at the bad side of the internet and gives a layman's description of the nefarious ways in which domain names, and the internet in a wider sense, are used.

Some of these fraudulent activities, or scams, involving domain names the article outlines are:

• cybersquatting
• fraudulent domain name transfers
• domain name tasting
• domain name kiting
• domain name spying
• domain name and keyword availability scam
• phishing
• pharming.

 

Other scams outlined in the article are employment fraud scams, auction scam issues, bogus humanitarian emails and sites, misuse of search engine keyword purchasing, economic stimulus payment scams, 'Nigerian' money offer (419) scams, work at home/turn computer into a money-making machine, money mule scam, fraudulent grand jury summons, overpayment scam and reshipping scam.

To fight these scams and frauds, the article also gives a number of recommendations to combat them. Law.com says "many have similar traits, such as brand abuse or requests for personal information by e-mail. Recognizing the "smell" or the characteristics of a scam or fraud will help assist users identify them even before they are covered or reported on by the press or government."

To read this Law.com article in full, see www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202424991791.