Cybersquatters Buy Merger Domains

• By theWHIR.com , September 18, 2008

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By Justin Lee, theWHIR.com

September 18, 2008 -- (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- Cybersquatters are quickly scooping up domain names corresponding to recent bank mergers with many of them already being sold online, after reports of the proposed mergers surfaced Friday, according to the BBC.

Domain names for the merged Bank of America/Merrill Lynch as well as for Lloyds TSB/HBOS have been registered.

One domain name, bankofamericamerrilllynch.com, has already been put up on eBay, with the starting bid of $1,500. The website directs visitors to the url address for the eBay listing.

Reports of Lehman Brothers' intent to sell the bank on Friday sent cybersquatters scurrying to buy up domains combining variations of Lehman Brothers with speculated buyers, including Barclay's, HSBC and Bank of America.

As a result, barclayslehman.com, hsbclehman.com, hsbclehmanbrothers.com, bofalehman.com had been registered.

Following news of Bank of America's acquisition of Merrill Lynch this week, cybersquatters quickly registered bankofamericamerrilllynch.com and bofaml.com.

Banks such as Merril Lynch, Bank of America, LloydsTSB and HBOS have been hit by online criminals and sites including bofaml.com, lloydstsbhbos.com and lehmanbarclays.com can all be found on the Internet.  

Many of these sites are routed to online 'click farms,' or websites that feature pay-per-click adverts where the cybersquatters profit from visitors who are seeking legitimate information about these financial institutions. 

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