// Case Studies
Fake car dealer: the domain resurrection after the TV report
A consumer TV format reports on a car sales platform as a suspected fraud site. Shortly after, the site is offline. A few weeks later a near-identical platform appears under a deliberately similar domain — same layout and identical legal-notice data. In this real case we reconstructed the operator continuity purely from openly accessible traces. We name no one.
Updated: 2026-07-11
How the case was handled
- 1Cross-check the legal notice independently: an identical phone number, address and VAT ID on a 'new' site point to the same operator.
- 2Compare domain and name servers: the same registrar and NS cluster between old and new domain are a strong continuity indicator.
- 3Check the timing: a twin domain registered shortly after the TV report suggests deliberate preparation.
- 4Watch public abuse signals: clustered user reports on the site's IP indicate real victims, not chance.
- 5Before buying or paying a deposit, ask for an independent reference and an inspection; if suspicious, preserve traces and report.
What to avoid
- Do not assume a 'new' domain means a clean operator.
- Do not pay a deposit to a platform whose legal notice cannot be independently confirmed.
- Do not be fooled by a professional layout — it says nothing about legitimacy.
- Do not ignore it when a reported site returns shortly after under a similar name.
How SKOPION helps
SKOPION links old and new appearances of a platform from externally accessible sources — legal notice, domain history, name servers, abuse signals — and documents operator continuity traceably for editors, a report or the bank. Passive and without touching third-party systems.
Confidential enquiryFAQ
- How do I tell two sites share the same operator?
- By identical legal-notice data, the same registrar and name-server cluster, and timing that matches the earlier report.
- Is a new domain after a TV report automatically fraud?
- No — but the accumulation of indicators (identical legal notice, same infrastructure, user reports) is a strong warning sign.
- I already paid — what now?
- Contact your bank immediately, preserve all records and file a report. Structured evidence handling improves the chances.