www.stopsylviabrowne.com hacked?

[technoextreme]

Invoke the DMCA!!!
Invoke the DMCA!!!
Invoke the DMCA!!!
In all seriousness for once I would love someone to actually invoke the DMCA for the purposes of good and taking down that crappy website is the best way to do it. INVOKE IT!!!!!!
EDIT:
It's not even the same website. Bad idea. The only way you could bring that baby down is if there is RSL's work that he butchered in there.

 

[Gord_in_Toronto]

Clues that the domain name was transferred or renewed, rather than lapsed/reregistered:

The current expiry date (21-aug-2009) is an anniversary of the creation date (21-aug-2006). If a domain name registration lapses, then it's back on the market for anyone to register. In that case, the new registration has its own start date, with a corresponding expiry date. If the domain name's registration had lapsed, then one way this new expiry date could be possible is if it was reregistered on the day it lapsed. Read on to learn why this can't happen. The only way this could happen is if it was renewed before expiry, or up to 30 days after expiry during the "redemption period", or transferred.

I don't have any experience with this domain name registrar, godaddy, but I own a lot of domain names and there is a period of a few weeks beyond the expiry date in which I can renew a registration. During this time, the domain name is still mine. If I haven't renewed it after this period, I lose it and the name is back on the market. It's important to understand that this does not happen on the date listed as the expiry date. It's back on the market 30 days after the expiry date.

At that point, several weeks after the listed expiry date, if someone wants it, they can pay the $10 and register it, but the registration will be from that date, and for a year or two hence. It is not registered from the previous expiry date, and the new expiry date will not be an anniversary of the previous expiry date.

In fact, ICANN have a "redemption period" policy, formalising the process I outlined above.

http://www.icann.org/en/registrars/redemption-proposal-14feb02.htm

It allows the owner of a domain name up to 30 days after any other grace period, or expiry or deletion of a domain name, in which to recover it. In this case, recovery is by paying a renewal fee, plus a service fee.

Note that it's a renewal fee, not a reregistration fee. This means that the registration is renewed, for a period of one or two years, taking effect from the listed expiry date. In this case, the new expiry date will be an anniversary of the creation (and expiry) date.

According to the ICANN page:



This is usually done by faxing a note saying that you are the original registrant.

Also, please note that the "updated date", 23-oct-2008, which many of you are excited about, is meaningless. Updated means any update to the registry database, such as changing the lock status, setting a new DNS, changing the email address or phone number of the admin contact for the domain name, etc. It's not necessarily related to the renewal date.

It doesn't look like a renewal, since it's now in a different name.
It doesn't look like a lapse/reregistration, since the new expiry date is an anniversary of the creation date.
It looks like a transfer.

In summary:

The new expiry date is an anniversary of the creation date.
This does not occur when a domain name's registration lapses and is then reregistered.
It happens when a domain name's registration is renewed, but then the owner doesn't change.
It happens when a domain name's registration is transferred, in which case there will be a new owner.

Of course, godaddy.com, the registrar in this case, may do things completely differently. Maybe they don't honour the redemption period. That would be bad.

Based on the above (with which I am in agreement) it is obvious that the site has been hijacked.

Mrs RSL should phone godaddy at either: or

• Product and Technical Support: (480) 505-8877 or
• Billing Support: (480) 505-8855

and explain the situation. Godaddy will have on file RSL's contact phone number and contact address. These they can use to confirm that Mrs RSL is telling the truth.

Godaddy has been lied to and they should be concerned that this has been done (and that it is possible) because their business depends on providing a secure service. If RSL has been impersonated, this is fraud.

If this contact does not produce the desired results, the issue can be escalated, including complaining to ICANN. I have had to do this for a similar reason and I did get my domain name back.


PS. I am not a lawyer, and etc.

 

[AndyD]

Yeah, copyright isn't going to cut it as far as I can see. As it stands, the new site is a "cleverly" crafted link farm for the woo site mentioned earlier in the the thread. There's nothing left of the original content except the name. Perhaps if Robert had the name registered there may be something that can be done there.

(I realise people are working on all this stuff so what happens in this thread is more a case of self-education than anything else)

Wouldn't it be great if SB sued the new site owner

 

[Ocelot]

Some laymans explanation of what seems to have happened might be in order.

To contact a computer over the internet you need its IP address (Internet Protocol). This is something like 72.32.2.238 it works a bit like a phone number. It's not very user friendly so there's a directory service called DNS (Domain Name Service)

When your web browser want to connect to www.randi.org it must first ask DNS for the IP address for that name. DNS replies with 72.32.2.238 and your computer "dials that number" At the other end it finds a webserver. It asks that webserver for www.randi.org and the webserver replies with a web page.

DNS has two benefits. Firstly www.randi.org is a darn sight easier to remember than 77.32.2.238. Secondly it means that the webserver can serve out multiple sites. If you ask the comptuer at the same IP address, 77.32.2.238 for forums.randi.org instead of www.randi.org it can give you a different page.

So to set up a website you need two things. First you need to hire some space on a webserver to store your content. You hire this from a hosting provider. Second you need to register a domain name so that you can tell the world which webserver to go to. You pay a domain registrar for this service. often the hosting provider and the domain registrar are the same company but they don't need to be. These services are subject to recurring fees.

What we're presuming has happened is that somewhere out there is a webserver that still has the original stopsylviabrowne.com website. However DNS has been changed and everybody who asks for the stopsylviabrowne.com website is being sent to a different webserver with the new content.

This may be becasue of one of two reasons. Robert has not paid his bills and therefore no longer has any reasonable claim over the domain name. It was therefore made available to all comers and has been picked up by someone else perfectly legitimately. That's a worst case scenario. Internet law is a little fuzzy on this and it may be that after a protracted legal battle, or by buying the domain back from the curent owners, Robert could regain control over the domain but it would be uncertain and expensive.

However this doesn't seem to be the case. Standard practice is to have a rolling contract with the domain registrar. Each year they renew the domain and deduct the fee from a credit card or send you an invoice. The yearly fee is not very much and ulinkely to break the bank

Whois is the directory of directories. It tells us who has registered a domain, when it was first registered, when it expires.

It tells us that stopsylviabrowne.com was first registered (to Robert) on the 26th August 2006, it is currently due for renewal on 26th August 2009. It was modified on 23rd October 2008.

We have to consider that someone might have set up a watch on a domain to automatically snap it up should it become available. This can be a lucrative business and such watch services are readily available. So what if something went wrong with the renewal process on the 26th August 2008 and the domain was snapped up. Those more familiar than I with the domain registrations have looked at this Whois infomration and told us that it means that this is not what's happened. I think that in those circumstances we'd expect to set the creation date reset. Though if both Robert and Boris used Go Daddy that rather relies on Go Daddy doing things by the book. You'd have to ask them why they're so certain.

Anyway if they did get control of the domain on that date they could set to work creating a replacement site. They host that on a different webserver and and then edit DNS to point traffic to their new webserver.

Another alternative is that they used shady means to get control of the domain. In other words they guessed Robert's Go Daddy password. Or forged an e-mail from him requesting the change.

If someone knows the old IP address of the stopsylviabrowne.com website we can verify that it still exists by using some of our networking magic to locally override the internet's DNS entry for www.stopsylviabrowne.com and check that this is the case.

If Robert used Go Daddy for both Webhosting Services and Domain Registration someone guessing his password might use it to take over the space he'd hired on the webserver. That would mean that there is no server containing the original content patiently waiting for the directory entries for www.stopsylviabrowne.com to be pointed back at its IP address.

In that case I'm sure Robert has backups and failing that the site could be pieced together from the archives.

If the site is still there and someone finds Roberts webhosting account details and the IP address for the webserver, we can point a different domain name at it as a stopgap. www.stopsylviabrowne.net has been suggested. The webserver will need to be told about the new domain name.

I think that covers it. As you can see, a lot is unknown. Hopefully those poring through Robert's laptop looking for the accoutn details they need to find answers will keep us posted as to what they find and what those of us with webservers and domain registrar accounts might do to help.

 

[Beeg Seestor]

Ocelot

Thank you for the "laymans explanation". I still do not understand it all but am less confused than before!

Janie

 

[Ocelot]

Ocelot

Thank you for the "laymans explanation". I still do not understand it all but am less confused than before!

Janie

Imagine that you're Dominoes Pizza, phone orders are down so you look in the yellow pages for your ad and find that some shyster has tricked the yellow pages into posting your add but with their telephone number.

Now imagine same thing but that the yellow pages is the only way that anybody ever gets in touch - phone orders aren't just down, they're non existant. As far as anybody else is concerned this new start up IS dominoes pizza.

That in a nutshell is pretty much what we think has happened.

The question is how did the scam artists trick the yellow pages and will the yellow pages put things right quick smart.

 

[blobru]

Thanks muse. Can you comment on the link I posted earlier in which it appears GoDaddy had the domain up for auction?

Domain Name: stopsylviabrowne.com
STOPSYLVIABROWNE.COM
Description:
Time Left:
Start Time: CLOSED
End Time: 09/25/2008 11:52 AM (PDT)
Sale Type: Auction
Category(s):
Includes Website: No

Perhaps the "Start Time: CLOSED" is significant? It just looks odd.

Hey, Andy.

"Start Time: CLOSED" means the auction is now closed. Guessing...

The auction's original Start Time was probably one month before the End Time, so: 08/25/2008 11:52 AM (PDT).

That's right about the two year anniversary of the creation date: Aug 26, 2006. Appears to me GoDaddy thought the domain had lapsed after two years, and put it up for auction. However that doesn't fit logical muse's scenarios, as the new expiry date should be an anniversary of the auction End Time: Sept 25, 2009, not Aug 26, 2009; so I'm stumped. Maybe logical muse, Ocelot, or someone else can make sense of it?

 

[Eos of the Eons]

Well, at least I hope they can restore Mr. Lancaster's registration information. I logged a complaint here anyways:

To report invalid WHOIS data to us, please fill out the following form and click 'Submit This Information

http://who.godaddy.com/ReportInvali...8&domain=stopsylviabrowne.com&prog_id=godaddy


I don't know if that will help at all.

 

[jadebox]

Created on: 21-Aug-06
Expires on: 21-Aug-09
Last Updated on: 23-Oct-08

Doesn't make sense .....

It's possible the domain did expire on August 21, 2008, which means someone could have bought it 60 days later on October 23. But, when you buy a domain and register it, the expiration date changes to a year later. It would be something like October 23, 2009, not August 21, 2009.

The references on the 'net suggest that the domain was auctioned on September 25. If that's true, godaddy made a mistake. They can't release the domain that soon after expiration.

If the domain was legitimately lost through not being renewed, however, the domain could be purchased back from whomever holds it. If that doesn't work out, Robert, or his wife, could make a compelling case to godaddy and ICANN that "StopSylviaBrowne" is his trademark. The many references on the web (including at authoritative sites such as CNN.com) should be enough to convince anyone that it's true.

-- Roger

 

[hcmom]

She lives 10 minutes from me. If she isn't kind enough to return emails, I could always stop by her place and have a polite little chat.

Fairly close to me as well. I don't think that posting the address was the best idea myself, though.

So.... when are you guys going, and can I come along?

(And obviously we should bring ES with us...)

 

[Chimera]

I used the contact button on the new site and sent them an email; got a form letter back:

On Wed, Oct 29, 2008 at 12:01 AM, {chimera} wrote:
Did you guys change your site? It looks really different. I like it!
JS


Reply from sssss sssss<[email protected]>:
Dear Visitor,
To give everyone the freedom to express their opinions about Sylvia Browne and other psychics and psychic experiences, we are opening a section where you will be able to share stories and articles, both positive and negative and have other people comment on them. This new feature will allow users to express their opinions and debate for their views.
This section will be opened in the beginning of next week, so if you have a story about Sylvia Browne, Psychic Reading or experience you would like to share, please feel free to post it on the site!
Thank you.
StopSylviaBrowne.com

 

[El_Spectre]

We're trying our best to work with GoDaddy, folks. Please be patient.

 

[logical muse]

Thanks muse. Can you comment on the link I posted earlier in which it appears GoDaddy had the domain up for auction?

Domain Name: stopsylviabrowne.com
STOPSYLVIABROWNE.COM
Description:
Time Left:
Start Time: CLOSED
End Time: 09/25/2008 11:52 AM (PDT)
Sale Type: Auction
Category(s):
Includes Website: No

Perhaps the "Start Time: CLOSED" is significant? It just looks odd.

I can comment on this.

As I stated in my earlier post, the new expiry is an anniversary of the original (year 2006) creation date, which indicates that this is not a relapse-reregistration but a renewal or transfer.

I've looked at godaddy's policy, and it indicates that they allow a form of reregistration that might look like a renewal.

What is your process for handling expired domains?:

# On the 25th day following your domain registration's expiration date, we place your domain for auction on the Domain Name Aftermarket (TDNAM). You can manually renew your domain, subject to any applicable renewal and redemption fees.
# On the 42nd day following your domain registration's expiration date, we cancel your domain. All services associated with the domain will be lost.

It's not the case here that the "42nd day" scenario has occurred. If it was, then the new expiry date would not be an anniversary of the original creation date; there would be a new creation date and a new expiry date.

It could very well be the case that the "25th day" scenario applies. By the looks of things, they placed the domain name for auction, and someone made a bid and secured the domain name. A year's registration was paid, ownership was transferred, and since the domain had not been cancelled, the new year's registration took effect from the old expiry date and so the new expiry date is on that anniversary.

I think this explains what has happened.

 

[Ysidro]

So.... when are you guys going, and can I come along?

(And obviously we should bring ES with us...)

Heck, I'm tempted to fly across the country and go with you.

 

[Ducky]

I used the contact button on the new site and sent them an email; got a form letter back:

On Wed, Oct 29, 2008 at 12:01 AM, {chimera} wrote:
Did you guys change your site? It looks really different. I like it!
JS


Reply from sssss sssss<[email protected]>:
Dear Visitor,
To give everyone the freedom to express their opinions about Sylvia Browne and other psychics and psychic experiences, we are opening a section where you will be able to share stories and articles, both positive and negative and have other people comment on them. This new feature will allow users to express their opinions and debate for their views.
This section will be opened in the beginning of next week, so if you have a story about Sylvia Browne, Psychic Reading or experience you would like to share, please feel free to post it on the site!
Thank you.
StopSylviaBrowne.com

This seems to indicate to me something nefarious.

 

[RSL's better half]

Sorry. Could you all please go to my new thread:

http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?p=4166586#post4166586

 

[saganite]

So.... when are you guys going, and can I come along?

(And obviously we should bring ES with us...)

Hell, we wouldn't even need him -- three angry female RSL fans make a formidable group on our own. (Although it would be nice to have him hiding in the car, just in case.)

 

[blobru]

... <see post #116> ...
I think this explains what has happened.

Thanks for the great detective work, lm -- starting to make sense now.
Only time will tell... (many thanks to El Spectre & co, too! & other posters for updates, suggestions and support: this is so damned unfair, unjust; let's hope it's illegal as well).

She lives 10 minutes from me. If she isn't kind enough to return emails, I could always stop by her place and have a polite little chat.

Fairly close to me as well. I don't think that posting the address was the best idea myself, though.

So.... when are you guys going, and can I come along?

(And obviously we should bring ES with us...)

Address is probably just a mail slot, but I applaud your desire for a polite chat, best 3 out of 5 falls, with the addressee (the desire only though -- best course is to wait and hope for a just outcome; however frustrating the wait [gnash, gnash, gnash... grr... gnash]).

ETA: and I see from the new thread we have an outcome -- just or not, I'm not sure.

 

[erlando]

http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?p=4166586#post4166586

That's really bad news domain-wise. What I have read on the webs of GoDaddys so called "customer service" regarding expired domains this means the domain is lost .

 

[chillzero]

Hell, we wouldn't even need him -- three angry female RSL fans make a formidable group on our own. (Although it would be nice to have him hiding in the car, just in case.)

Can this please be the last comment on this train of thought? I don't think it's appropriate.