somehow my domain name was lost. now I am being l blackmailed to buy it back. before looking for ano

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  makeupandhairbyalicia · Member · Dec 6, 2015 at 8:20 pm

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  I need to know how to get my website info.

  The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)

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  makeupandhairbyalicia · Member · Dec 6, 2015 at 8:24 pm

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  HELP!!!!!! I DONT KNOW HOW TO GET MY WEBSITE BACK. IS THERE ANY CONTACT PHONE NUMBER?

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  auxclass · Member · Dec 6, 2015 at 9:23 pm

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  I have flagged this for staff attention

  However it looks like you might have let your domain registration expire and the name has been picked up by a squatter. It also does not look like you were hosted here – but I can not tell if you registered your name here originally.

  If you let the registration lapse your options are a bit limited but include getting a new domain name and starting over, that is what some folks I know just did when their name was stolen, so far the FBI has not been much help.

  The staff can look and see if there is any trace of your name here, but not sure what they can do.

  Perhaps consult with a lawyer that understands internet law to see if you have any recourse against the squatter.

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  makeupandhairbyalicia · Member · Dec 6, 2015 at 11:23 pm

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  Thank you for your reply. If I get another domain name, how do I retrieve my website? Or is that lost too?

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  auxclass · Member · Dec 7, 2015 at 2:35 am

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  Contact your host and see what the status is of your data – if your name was taken, with the name servers pointed away from your host – then the site might still be there if you have your hosting payments current. Or maybe the host has a backup somewhere.

  You can probably get some from either the Wayback Machine (archive.org I think) or some search engines might have the old content in their cache

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  supernovia · Staff · Dec 8, 2015 at 12:34 am

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  Hi @makeupandhairbyalicia, if you’re able to get your domain back, great. Your registrar may still be able to get it back for you.

  If you get a different domain, there are instructions at WordPress.org for changing the domain on your site. Your host may be willing to help, or you can ask the community:
  wordpress.org/support Or you can also hire a contractor

  Once everything is set again let us know and we’ll help you get Jetpack connected.

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  supernovia · Staff · Dec 8, 2015 at 12:35 am

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  Also, to clarify, they aren’t necessarily blackmailing you. When you let your domain expire, the registrar is allowed to auction it or charge a late fee. It’s pretty standard with most registrars. And if someone else has already bought the domain, they are allowed to do with it what they will.

  Your best bet is to never let your domains expire.