Fraud by Domain Name Service Providers
I believe I have been the victim of fraud.  

After entering my desired domain name into 5 different free online service provider pages, I then found it unregistered and put in my contact details and credit card no.  Unfortunately, as I didnt have my ABN (Australian business name) the site still took my money and didnt send any warning that it wasn't registered.  About 2 days later, I phoned the server and they said that another company had successfully registered it within 24 hours and that they would refund my money and that it was only "an application" that I completed and that their terms and conditions did not require them to notify me if there was a problem etc. 

I have since researched the "offending company" and it appears they have no link to the name "real and substantial connection" is required to now register a .com.au however they have effectively blocked my domain name.

I believe there is:
a) insider trading (ie someone at one of the 5 sites I put the name into) and most likely the one that refunded my money who then phoned this "potential offender".  At this stage he hasnt contacted me to ask for money hence difficult to prove.  
b) a cookie on one of the computers routing information for cases like mine (where the transaction was half done)
c) a robot (ditto above).

I am an ordinary person who knows only the basics around this area (and have insuff resources to use an International IP expert etc)and am learning as I go about all of these terms and scams and cyber crime as I go.

I would be grateful to get any assistance from your/other communities on:
1.Has this occcurred anywhere else in the world?  
2.Are there any legal cases that you know of that I can use in my complaint to AUDA (Australian Regulator, the AUstralian Consumer watch dog on scams and the Federal Police)?
3. What would be the types of names eg cookies or robots that I would describe to AUDA to look at?
4. How easy is it if (AUDA to eg get a warrant and search their computers) to find this before they hear of it and remove the cookies etc?

All tips gratefully received.

Fraud by Domain Name Service Providers
===

I believe I have been the victim of fraud.  

After entering my desired domain name into 5 different free online service provider pages, I then found it unregistered and put in my contact details and credit card no.  Unfortunately, as I didnt have my ABN (Australian business name) the site still took my money and didnt send any warning that it wasn't registered.  About 2 days later, I phoned the server and they said that another company had successfully registered it within 24 hours and that they would refund my money and that it was only "an application" that I completed and that their terms and conditions did not require them to notify me if there was a problem etc. 

I have since researched the "offending company" and it appears they have no link to the name "real and substantial connection" is required to now register a .com.au however they have effectively blocked my domain name.

I believe there is:
a) insider trading (ie someone at one of the 5 sites I put the name into) and most likely the one that refunded my money who then phoned this "potential offender".  At this stage he hasnt contacted me to ask for money hence difficult to prove.  
b) a cookie on one of the computers routing information for cases like mine (where the transaction was half done)
c) a robot (ditto above).

I am an ordinary person who knows only the basics around this area (and have insuff resources to use an International IP expert etc)and am learning as I go about all of these terms and scams and cyber crime as I go.

I would be grateful to get any assistance from your/other communities on:
1.Has this occcurred anywhere else in the world?  
2.Are there any legal cases that you know of that I can use in my complaint to AUDA (Australian Regulator, the AUstralian Consumer watch dog on scams and the Federal Police)?
3. What would be the types of names eg cookies or robots that I would describe to AUDA to look at?
4. How easy is it if (AUDA to eg get a warrant and search their computers) to find this before they hear of it and remove the cookies etc?

All tips gratefully received.
