In domain hijacking the hijacker steals the internet domain name from its true owner commonly by falsifying a transfer authorization. In most cases communication from the offender, disguised as the true owner, activates the unsuspecting domain registrar to transfer the same from the existing holder to the hijacker. Domain Hijacking is also popularly known as domain name hijacking.
Many confuse registration of a lapsed domain in favor of a new holder with domain hijacking. While domain registration in the name of the new owner is the outcome of a legitimate transfer process, domain hijacking amounts to theft.
On the failure of the owner to renew a domain name it lapses, upon which it is open for subscription by new bidders.
While some domain registrars take immediate corrective measures when any incident of domain hijacking is reported and restore the same to the true owner, others are negligent to set matters right without a court order in order to disown their failure in detecting forged credentials of transfer.
Quite often the victim may not be able to afford the time or resources for legal proceedings to regain the lost domain from the hijacker, particularly when both of them are from different countries.
Hijackers may set up their own websites on the domain or redirect the visitors to another site.
The most effective way to prevent domain hijacking is to keep it locked. While a domain is locked, domain transfer cannot be initiated even by the domain registrar.
