Wanted: Internet Url Police

As the Haiti relief flowed to the disaster area, scammers were registering exploitative domain names and setting up false charity websites to target well-meaning donaters. The London Daily News featured a story on the opportunistic and fraudulent nature of these scams, but experts wonder if an Internet policing authority might not be appropriate to take down sites before the public gets scammed. When you are one url away from getting fleeced, wouldn’t it be prudent to have set some domain handling controls in place?

Super-Premium Domain Lock Feature

The news among domainers of the stolen p2p.com name from Godaddy (and the subsequent resale on Ebay to an NBA player) has spurred industry debate about the relative security of registrar domains. Obviously, there needs to be a premium service for those premium value domains that required voice print technology approving the transfer. The recording of vocal digital signature and source IP, home phone and/or webcam requirement should be a basic feature for domains in the $160,000 and $200,000 range.

Michael Jackson com @ $12 Million US

The amount of Michael Jackson memorabilia for sale on eBay increased nearly 10,000 percent the morning after the pop star’s death from a possible heart attack. Michael Jackson coverage still is featured on every newspaper front page around the world.

And with that surge, the Better Business Bureau of Greater Maryland is cautioning buyers about purchasing fake merchandise. Opportunism knows no bounds. The increase in memorabilia makes buyers more susceptible to price inflation, counterfeits and internet scams that can threaten sensitive information, officials said.

“Following the death of Princess Diana, the market was flooded with mass-produced items commemorating her death, including special edition Beanie Babies that at one time sold for more than $100 but are now on garage sale tables for a buck,” said Angie Barnett, CEO of the Better Business Bureau.

Sellers listed an average of 200 to 400 Michael Jackson memorabilia items daily on eBay, but the number spiked to 20,000 after his death, according to Smartmoney.com, a web site that covers Wall Street. Currently the demand and trade speed diminishes the capacity of the BBB to keep up.

Michael Jackson sold 750 million albums during his four-decade music career, according to the recording industry publication Billboard Magazine. Jackson’s “Thriller” album is one of the top-selling albums of all time, with 40 million copies sold around the world.

Michael Jackson memorabilia is selling for anywhere from $21 million — for the michaeljackson.com Internet domain name — to $1.79 for a Michael Jackson collectable vinyl window sticker.