Developer shares 5 free APIs that expose domain fraud before money changes hands

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A developer writing for DEV Community described how a single DNS TXT record lookup stopped an $8,500 fraudulent domain purchase after a broker falsely claimed the domain was off-market. To streamline due diligence, he built a Python script that runs five parallel checks using free API tiers, covering WHOIS age, IP geolocation, company identity, email health, and sanctions screening. Previously, gathering the same data required six browser tabs and three to four hours of manual work per domain. The script, published on GitHub, returns a consolidated dossier on any domain in roughly two seconds. The author argues that parallel, automated checks catch red flags that any single lookup would miss.

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