Where are telemarketers getting WhoIs contact info?

[samwest]

This discussion was split off from the Google Updates and SERP Changes - August 2019 [webmasterworld.com] Thread

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You too? All I get all day are indian telemarketers now and Google listing spam calls.

The Indian telemarketers are likely getting your info from the "whois" database. I register my domains privately or using generic admin account info. Wonder if that plays into G's evaluation of our sites at all?...you know, the whole "trust " thing.

[edited by: not2easy at 12:50 am (utc) on Aug 5, 2019]
[edit reason] Thread split/splice cleanup [/edit]

[RedBar]

The Indian telemarketers are likely getting your info from the "whois" database.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong however that is all hidden now isn't it?

@pp

but at the same time I'm scared that at any moment Google can take me out

Quality site with quality content "shouldn't" be affected however who knows what kind of curved ball G in it's infinite wisdom will throw next?

I feel there are more prejudiced and biased G alogo "preferences" than many realise which affect rankings.

[edited by: not2easy at 12:48 am (utc) on Aug 5, 2019]
[edit reason] splice cleaup [/edit]

[Dimitri]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong however that is all hidden now isn't it?

No.

It's hidden if :

- you are European citizen,
- and if you registered your domain at an European registrar,
- or, if you registered at a foreign registrar which is effectively respecting EU GDPR.
- and if your whois data have not yet been scrapped by third parties which had published these information online, and which are not bothering with the EU GDPR.

So lot of conditions need to be met :)

ps: some non EU registrars are proposing privacy records free or for a fee.

[RedBar]

Are you absolutely sure?

I have just checked several of my domains at [lookup.icann.org...] and none of them show my details and I haven't paid anyone to hide them BUT I also checked them at a US registrar I use and it showed my company name and town however no email or telephone contact details.

Anyway, this should be in the Domain Names forum </wondering>

[samwest]

Very interesting video from Dr Robert Epstein on Google search manipulation.... must watch: [youtu.be...]
This clearly explains how the bottom dropped out for all of us while Google goes on to make billions per quarter while manipulating search for their own interests. Really disgusting...but he claims to have a solution to stop this manipulation.

[nomis5]

Very interesting video from Dr Robert Epstein on Google search manipulation

Love the prominently positioned bottle of Coke in the right side of this YouTube video! It's there for the entire video.

[Robert Charlton]

Mod's note - I've split off this excellent discussion as a new thread on its own, which, as RedBar suggest, eventually belongs in the Domain forum. For the time being, until I can clean it up, a bit, it needs to stay here.

PLEASE folks... your volunteer, unpaid mods need some help here. When you start a discussion on a new topic, start a new thread, in the right place. If you see discussion going off topic, use Reported (hidden in a dropdown under the Msg#), to let us know. Thanks.

[tangor]

Is this question regarding sales folks hitting "you", or is there something else at play?

Anyone contacting me unsolicited is given the cold shoulder without even a courtesy "bug off!" reply.

Meanwhile, ICAAN seems to have hidden expressed personal details ... I know my registrar (USA based) took that step a few months before GDPR actually rolled out.

[RedBar]

Are these telemarketers specifically hitting US companies?

Over the past 25 years year, in the UK, I've had the very occasional call and don't think I've had one for at least a couple of years or so however I get emails every week telling me that a domain is about to expire, when it isn't, plus various other ridiculous claims.

Quite why they do this I have no idea, do they actually manage to sucker people like this?

One thing I have noticed is that they only target .com names.

[Dimitri]

In 25+ years , I received "one" phone call. It was in the end of the 90's, some kind of US company claiming they wanted to interview me, I was younger and naive and thought wow, great ! So I did the phone interview, then at the end, the woman said okay, so we can list your business in our who's who for $250 for one year, ... as I said I was naive and didn't see it coming, I know it sounds silly now. And I said, no, and she get mad at me and how I wasted her time (+ international phone call fees may be) ... too bad for her. Since no one ever called me :)

[brotherhood of LAN]

Some registrars are still showing registrant details, some have blanket anonymised them.

Just like with ICANN domain verification, the registrars 'interpret' rules laid out to them and each of them interpret it differently.

That, and for anything registered > year, they'll have old data to work with.

Also if you have the same details across multiple domains, there's a possibility the 'handle' (a unique primary key a registrar will use to identify a customer) is seen across multiple domains, so it's another way to figure out who owns the domain.

[Dimitri]

Telemarketers will always find the information, no matter how :)

[tangor]

Telemarketers will always find the information, no matter how :)

Good ones are part bulldog, part pitbull, part coonhound...

[RedBar]

coonhound

I had to look-up that one, never heard of it before.

[SocialSEO]

I've suspected that Godaddy and 1on1 (at least those 2 for sure) Sell your info to telemarketers and lie to you about it.... I haven't done business with either of them in over 4 years and only buy through Namesilo (and recently tried Porkbun as well) - and guess what? NO TELEMARKETING CALLS lol ... despite entering my correct info in the whois - so I'm guessing your info got sold to scammers for a quick $