As part of ZARC’s (The South African Registry), ongoing commitment to combating domain name fraud within the South African registry, we are sharing important guidance on the steps and processes available to help address and report fraudulent domain activity.
If a fraudulent website is discovered If the site is hosted in South Africa, a Take-Down Notice may be submitted under the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act through the Internet Service Providers’ Association
Please note: This process removes hosted content only. It does not deactivate a domain name or disclose registrant details.
If a .ZA domain is being used for abuse
Abusive practices such as phishing, malware distribution, botnet control, spam, and fraudulent websites involving .co.za, .org.za, .net.za or .web.za domains may be reported to:
legal@registry.net.za
Complaints must fall within the scope of the ZARC Anti-Abuse and Takedown Policy.
If a domain is impersonating a company
For .ZA domains, disputes can be filed through the .ZA Domain Name Authority (ZADNA) Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) process. There are currently two service providers accredited to handle .ZA domain disputes:
For non-.ZA domains (such as .com), disputes are handled under ICANN’s UDRP process.
Legal advice may be required in these cases.
If someone has been a victim of online fraud
Serious matters should be reported to SAPS (South African Police Service), with a sworn affidavit and request for investigation by the cybercrime division.
Suspicious activity may also be reported to:
legal@registry.net.za
incident@cybersecurityhub.gov.za
Complaints Form
Registrant Information Requests
Due to data privacy legislation, registrant details are not publicly available. Law enforcement or authorized legal representatives may request a Data Access Form from legal@registry.net.za.
Tucows Abuse Reporting
Unsure of the correct reporting procedure or having trouble filing your report? The Tucows Compliance Team is available to assist you.
Additional Information
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