The domain name I've been watching will expire in 3 days. Out of the blue today, the domain status locks have been lifted. Is it "legitimate" to put in a blind transfer request even without having prior contact w/ the domain admin?

I guess the hope would be they don't respond in 5 days and I'd get the domain without having to wait it out in the backorder process.

In a word, "No."

First off, it's theft. The domain's not yours.

Secondly, you need the domain's authorization code to initiate a transfer. And the gaining registrar is required to send an authorization e-mail to the domain's current owner before they can iniitiate the transfer.

Blind transfer won't get you the domain as the authorized email is not yours. You can legally register the domain when it gets deleted. This does not happens immediately after expiry but after a Redemption and Grace period.

I guess the hope would be they don't respond in 5 days and I'd get the domain without having to wait it out in the backorder process.

One can hope. But not likely to happen in this case as previously answered.

It might interest you to know I read in another forum where someone is being criminally charged for doing something like this. Why risk it?

Besides, ain't patience a virtue?

:crazy: if Domains doesn't belong to you then its illegal to initiate its tranfer!

The domain name I've been watching will expire in 3 days. Out of the blue today, the domain status locks have been lifted. Is it "legitimate" to put in a blind transfer request even without having prior contact w/ the domain admin?

I guess the hope would be they don't respond in 5 days and I'd get the domain without having to wait it out in the backorder process.

Besided the fact that it's theft, domains don't automatically transfer if there is no response after 5 days.

You're confusing the registrar's 5 day transfer window.