Web Hosting Talk : Web Hosting Main Forums : Running a Web Hosting Business : Is this cause for alarm?

[jclagg]

I host sites for a pretty narrow niche and most of my customers are referred through designers I work with on other projects. I can usually trace a new customer to a friend of a friend of a friend. Now and then I get customers who just stumble in and it doesn't worry me. Anyway, I recently had a new customer sign up who immediately add-on 10 domain names to their account--all nonsensical domain names, registered to people all over the US. This worries me for some reason. Normally, there's a pretty clear reason for add-ons. Anyone know of anything bad they might be up to? Anything in particular I should monitor?

I sent a friendly email requesting info on the nature of their business and the purpose of the add-ons and got a friendly response, however he didn't answer my questions.

Any thoughts?

[boonchuan]

If he didn't answer your questions, don't setup for him. Also what is his mode of payment? Do ensure that payment is not via stolen credit cards etc. For suspicious clients make sure they pay via bank transfer so that there won't be any unnecessary chargebacks.

[The Napster]

I see, Couldn't he be a designer too? And the addon domains maybe projects he/she is working on, Could well be. How long ago did you send him/her an email? I would monitor his account and see how it goes.
Regards,

[jclagg]

He paid with PayPal and is already set up. Like you say, could very well be on the up and up. I'm monitoring the general stuff. Basically, I guess, I was just wondering if this is a red flag for anything specific (i.e. laying the groundwork for some sort of spamming practice I'm not familiar with).

Also, I don't allow resellers and he's set up, like 9 subdomains, called hosting1.hisdomain.com, hosting2.hisdomain.com, etc. All of the domains/add-ons associated with this account have nothing in them yet. His reply:

<quote>
Let me introduce myself to you first . I am **deleted**. I am the one handling the hosting part of **deleted** work under whom the account is purchased. But I do not have any knowledge about the content to be uploaded to the sites. I am not related to that part of the work.
I can just assure you one thing. Once the sites are uploaded , please check the contents and if you think that it is violating your TOS please inform me or **deleted** at once. We will see that everything will be within your TOS.
</quote>

Who knows? I suppose I'll just keep an eye on him.

[TMX]

Keep a finger hovering over the 'suspend' button - the nonsensical domain names combined with geographically diverse addresses are a major red flag. My guess is that they are definitely spam-related, and probably target sites for a future spam run.

-B

[Dacsoft]

Originally posted by jclagg

...But I do not have any knowledge about the content to be uploaded to the sites. I am not related to that part of the work.

He may not be reselling, but this appears to say that either he is hosting sites for others or is trying to avoid answering your question.

As others have said, I would just keep a watch on the sites for a while to make sure what is happening.