{"id":3522,"date":"2013-11-08T11:32:59","date_gmt":"2013-11-08T16:32:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/acro.net\/blog\/?p=3522"},"modified":"2013-11-08T11:38:32","modified_gmt":"2013-11-08T16:38:32","slug":"due-diligence-is-a-must-before-buying-a-domain-name","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acro.net\/blog\/due-diligence-is-a-must-before-buying-a-domain-name\/","title":{"rendered":"Due diligence is a must before buying a domain name"},"content":{"rendered":"

When acquiring a domain name, the proverbial phrase “if it’s too good to be true, it probably isn’t true<\/em>” most often applies.<\/p>\n

For example, if a keyword generic domain name, or an LLL .com are being offered for an exceptionally low price, this could be an indication of an attempt to launder<\/em> the domain.<\/p>\n

Domain laundering<\/strong> is the quick sale of a stolen domain asset, usually sooner than later after the theft was committed, for a price appealing enough to generate a quick sale; the recipient of the domain might or might not be aware of its status.<\/p>\n

The motivation of the cyberthief<\/strong> is not unlike that of common thieves: dispose of the asset and reap compensation for the act, then promptly disappear.<\/p>\n

Depending on the locale of the thief, the monetary profit from this transaction might be adequate or simply handsome: an amount of $3,000 for a stolen domain<\/strong><\/a> is a fortune to behold, in many African and Asian countries.<\/p>\n

Due diligence<\/strong> is necessary prior to acquiring a domain name from suspicious or unfamiliar sources; the process must be extended to sources that are normally trusted, in order to avoid nasty surprises in the future.<\/p>\n

DomainTools<\/strong><\/a> provides an indispensable tool – available by subscription<\/em> – that most serious domain investors can’t live without: WHOIS history.<\/strong><\/p>\n

By examining past ownership records, one can check a domain’s history for suspicious changes. Such changes could be one or more of the following:<\/p>\n