Reporting abuse to Orbit
Orbit Domains (“Orbit”, “we”, “us”) takes the misuse of domains seriously. When a domain registered through us is involved in malicious or unlawful activity, our team investigates and, where warranted, acts under our Terms of Service and Acceptable Use Policy.
This page explains what we can act on, how to send an effective report, the categories of abuse we review, and where to turn for matters that fall outside a registrar’s control.
What Orbit can act on
It helps to know the difference between a domain registrar and a website host. Orbit registers and manages domain names; we do not host websites or store the content published on them. That distinction determines what we can do about a report:
- Domain-level abuse — when the abuse is tied to a domain registered through Orbit (for example a domain used for phishing or malware distribution), we can investigate and take registrar action such as locking, suspending, or cancelling the domain.
- Website content — when your concern is about content on a website, that content lives with the site’s hosting provider, not with us. You may need to contact the website owner or its hosting provider to have the content itself removed.
- Other registrars — if the domain was not registered through Orbit, the report should go to the registrar or provider that manages it; ICANN’s lookup tools can help you identify the responsible party.
How to report
Send your report by email to [email protected]. The more specific and verifiable your report is, the faster we can act. Please include, where applicable:
- The exact domain name and any URLs involved.
- The type of abuse you are reporting (for example phishing, malware, spam).
- Evidence — screenshots, the full email headers for spam or phishing messages, malware sample hashes or scanner results, and timestamps with the time zone.
- A short description of the harm and how you encountered it.
- Your name and a contact email so we can follow up if we need more detail.
Types of domain abuse we review
We investigate several categories of domain abuse to keep the namespace safe:
- Malware — domains used to host or distribute software designed to damage, disrupt, or gain unauthorized access to a device or network, including viruses, spyware, and ransomware.
- Phishing — domains used to deceive people into revealing sensitive information such as passwords, card numbers, or account details.
- Pharming — domains used to redirect visitors to fraudulent destinations, often by manipulating or hijacking DNS.
- Spam — domains used to send unsolicited bulk messages or to amplify them, including “spamvertised” domains.
- Botnet / command-and-control — domains used to operate or coordinate networks of compromised machines.
- Registration data inaccuracy — domains whose WHOIS/registrant details are intentionally false, outdated, or incomplete.
Copyright & trademark (IP) complaints
Orbit respects intellectual-property rights and expects the same of its users. If you believe a site infringes your copyright or trademark, the most direct route is usually the website’s host, since Orbit as the registrar does not control or store site content.
Where a formal notice to Orbit is appropriate, email [email protected] with: identification of the protected work or mark, the allegedly infringing material and its location (URL), your contact details, a good-faith statement that the use is unauthorized, a statement under penalty of perjury that your notice is accurate and that you are authorized to act, and your physical or electronic signature. Note that information in an IP notice may be forwarded to the registrant or site owner.
Domain name disputes (UDRP)
Disputes over who should hold a domain name — for example bad-faith or abusive registration of a name that matches your trademark (cybersquatting) — are handled under ICANN’s Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP), not by a registrar acting alone.
To pursue a UDRP claim, file a complaint with an ICANN-approved dispute-resolution provider. To identify a domain’s available registration details first, you can use our WHOIS lookup or ICANN’s lookup tools.
Illegal or harmful content
If you believe a domain registered through Orbit is associated with illegal content, threats of violence, harassment, or doxxing, report it to [email protected] with as much detail as possible so our team can review it promptly.
We treat reports of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) with the highest priority and act swiftly, including reporting to the appropriate authorities and child-protection organizations. We strongly encourage you to also report such material directly to the relevant national hotline. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, contact your local emergency services first.
Requests for non-public registration data
In line with ICANN’s Registration Data Policy, personal contact details in public registration records are redacted by default. A third party may request disclosure of specific non-public registration data on the basis of a demonstrable, legitimate interest; such requests are reviewed individually and may be granted or denied at our discretion, and are intended as a measure of last resort after less intrusive options are exhausted.
Law enforcement requests for account, user, or registration information require valid legal process — such as a subpoena, court order, or warrant — addressed to Orbit or our registrar partner as appropriate.
Reporting a cybercrime
If you are the victim of online fraud or another cybercrime, you can report it to the relevant authority in addition to notifying us — for example the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) in the United States, Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) in the EU, or your region’s equivalent cybercrime reporting body.
What happens after you report
We acknowledge and investigate reports based on their type and severity. Depending on what we find, we may contact the registrant, request remediation, or take registrar action such as locking, suspending, or cancelling the domain under our Terms of Service and Acceptable Use Policy.
We prioritize reports that present an active threat to people’s safety or security. Because some matters require coordination with our registrar partner, registries, hosts, or authorities, resolution times vary; submitting clear, complete evidence helps us move faster.
A note on this page
This page is a resource to help you report abuse effectively; it is not legal advice. Orbit does not advise on the laws that may apply to your particular situation. For questions about our policies, see our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, or contact us at [email protected].