Weaponizing Domain Names: how bulk registration aids global spam campaigns

The report argues that the domain-name industry should adopt validation and tracking measures—such as verifying registrant payment methods, prohibiting anonymous payments, and adding a ‘bulk registrant’ flag in registration records—to prevent criminals from weaponizing bulk domain registrations for extortion, fraud, and other abuses. The authors base these recommendations on analysis of hundreds of thousands of current and historical Whois records showing routine bulk registration by criminals and suggest ICANN action to mitigate this abuse.