
Ask HN: Why would a foreign domain registry want my SSN? - oskapt
I have a vanity domain under .pt. I bought it three years ago and paid for 5 years. Last week I received an email from the registry saying that my contact information is invalid. I looked - all was fine. I sent in a request for more info, and they told me that they need my taxpayer ID (US Social Security Number). I&#x27;m a civilian, not a Portugese or EU citizen, and the registry doesn&#x27;t have anything to do with US tax authorities. I refused to provide it.<p>They argue that they need it to either a) validate that I&#x27;m myself if I lose control of the domain or b) because they issue invoices&#x2F;receipts for purchase. Neither of these things require my SSN. I&#x27;ve had numerous exchanges with them, and all of them use logic to the effect of:<p>We don&#x27;t have this information. Because we don&#x27;t have it, we have decided that we need it. Because we need it, you have to provide it<p>My argument is:<p>You didn&#x27;t need it when I registered. You didn&#x27;t ask for it for the last 3 years. You don&#x27;t need it for your two stated reasons. A US SSN is considered confidential information. Without a law stating I have to provide it, I&#x27;m not going to provide it.<p>The threat is that if I don&#x27;t comply in 8 days from the original email, they&#x27;ll delete my domain.<p>Why would they require my SSN? Am I right in not giving it to them? Has anyone else with a domain under .pt run into this?<p>Edited: for formatting
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jeffmould
Haven't heard of a domain register asking for a social security number
specifically to verify ID, but have heard of foreign domain registers asking
foreign registrants to supply a photo id and/or passport number, or some other
form of photo identification. It is completely possible that something changed
in the last 5 years with the registration requirements that they now require
additional verification (i.e. they opened domain registrations up to non-
residents).

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oskapt
Passport/ID is reasonable. I have trading accounts that needed that
information. It's the demand for taxpayer ID that is fishy.

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jeffmould
Yeah I would resist the SSN. They wouldn't take a passport or driver's
license? Sounds like you got some tech support reading a script.

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smt88
Are you 100% sure that email came from the registry? Did you talk to them on
the phone using the number listed on their website? Have you contacted ICANN?

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oskapt
It's not phishing. I submitted a ticket to dns.pt independent of the original
email.

