Hosting providers are increasingly asking Spamhaus how they can prevent so-called “fraudulent sign-ups” — new customers whose only intention is to spam, host malware, host botnet controllers, or engage in other activities that are forbidden by the hosting provider’s acceptable use policy (AUP). Such customers normally target cheap VPS and cloud hosting with automated sign-up procedures. These customers know that their accounts will be terminated swiftly when the host becomes aware of their activities, so they usually use stolen credit cards or compromised Paypal accounts to obtain service. This allows them to hide their real identities and avoid spending their own funds.
