Cybersquatting on potential bank merging domain names

Posted: September, 20 2008

Domain names for the merged Bank of America/Merrill Lynch as well as for Lloyds TSB/HBOS have been snapped up. Amazingly one domain name is selling on Ebay, with a starting bid of US$1,500 and with 3 bids now over US$2,000 !

In the UK, speculation surrounding the merger of Lloyds TSB with HBOS prompted yet more cybersquatting, so that now lloydstsbhbos.com and hboslloydstsb.com are owned.

It shows how there are opportunists out there waiting to pounce on any event,

says Jonathan Robinson, chief operating officer of NetNames.

We’ve seen it in the case of celebrity with David Beckham going to LA Galaxy, we’ve seen it in the case of tragedy, with Princess Diana’s death. There’s a subtle twist on the whole thing now, which is the anticipation of the event.