I’ve purchased a few domains in my life, but it was always through Google Domains in the past. This weekend I bought a new one through Cloudflare so that I could make a nice subdomain structure for all of my self-hosted apps. That went great - I’m using Traefik and Pihole for the local DNS.

But in the past two days, I’ve gotten 28 spam calls and a handful of text messages from companies who want to design my website, or logo, or something else. I only listened to the first few voicemails but they did mention the name of the domain I purchased.

This didn’t happen when I used Google Domains. Is there something I missed? I knew this information was public, but I feel like I must have screwed up somehow and it put me on a lot of spam lists.

  • aneesk071@alien.topBEnglish
    3·
    11 months ago

    You haven’t necessarily “screwed up,” but there are some factors to consider when it comes to privacy and spam calls or messages after registering a domain. Here’s a complete guide to address your concerns:

    1. Public WHOIS Information:

    When you register a domain, you are required to provide WHOIS information, including your name, address, email, and phone number. This information is often public and can be accessed by anyone through a WHOIS lookup. Different domain registrars have varying policies regarding WHOIS privacy.

    2. Privacy Protection Services:

    Some domain registrars, like Google Domains, offer WHOIS privacy protection services. These services replace your personal information in the WHOIS database with the contact details of a privacy service, safeguarding your privacy.

    3. .US Domain Specifics:

    As you mentioned, .US domains typically require more extensive public WHOIS information than generic top-level domains (TLDs). This is due to regulations set forth by the United States Department of Commerce.

    4. Spam Calls and Messages:

    Registering a domain, especially a .US domain, can make your contact information accessible to marketing agencies and spammers who scrape WHOIS databases for leads. The information you provided during registration, including the mention of your new domain, can attract these unsolicited calls and messages.

    5. What You Can Do:

    Opt for Privacy Protection: Consider domain registrars or services that offer WHOIS privacy protection. While .US domains may still require some public information, this service can mask your details.

    Use a Dedicated Phone/Email: If you anticipate spam, consider using a dedicated phone number and email address for domain registrations. This way, your personal contact information remains separate.

    Be Cautious with .US Domains: Understand the implications of registering a .US domain and the privacy trade-offs involved. If you value privacy, you may want to reconsider the choice of TLD.

    Set Up Spam Filters: Use spam filters on your email and phone to minimize the impact of spam messages and calls. Most email providers and smartphones offer built-in spam filtering.

    Report Spam Calls: If you receive spam calls, you can report them to your phone carrier, and they may offer options to block or filter such calls.

    6. Learn from the Experience:

    This situation serves as a learning experience regarding domain registration and privacy. Moving forward, consider the privacy implications of your domain choices and take steps to protect your personal information online.

    Remember that the specific impact can vary depending on the domain registrar, the domain extension, and how you’ve configured your WHOIS information. You can also reach out to your domain registrar’s support for guidance on managing your WHOIS information and privacy options.