Since using 000webhost to register a domain name I’ve been getting a small but steady stream of unsolicited phone calls (and emails) from sleazy companies trying to sell me web design services. (To my mobile phone, which has an active entry on the US Do No Call registry.)
What’s the best way to handle these illegal phone calls?
Just block them 
Blocking spammers one throwaway address at a time is a 90s tactic. I was hoping for something more proactive I could do.
Or use truecaller, they got a spammers list, auto blocks incoming ones.
Make sure you are using WHOIS protection else just remove or use a false number on a WHOIS listing, I don’t give out my telephone number for anything anymore and any numbers that call me which I don’t recognise are ignored - if it is important they will leave a voicemail; plus a Google of said numbers reveal the spam callers, add to route to voicemail or block using Android.
Thanks, I didn’t realize that 000webhost would put my mobile phone number in the WHOIS entry and that I needed to actively take it off.
We do not add this to the WHOIS. This is added when you purchase the domain. So, whoever your domain registrar is, added it. This is required information for a domain name, unless you decided to use WHOIS privacy, which most likely will cost extra.
I registered my domain through you, as I was signing up for the hosting, so yes, you added my phone number to my domain registration.
If I had realized it was going to be published for spammers to abuse I would have used a fake number or my (virtual) FAX machine.
Did you purchase the domain from Hostinger?
The purchase confirmation came from you – I did not get any correspondence about the domain from any other site.
WHOIS says:
Registrar:PDR Ltd. d/b/a PublicDomainRegistry (dot) com
which is a company whose name I don’t recall seeing during the registration process.
(I see that my email address is presented as an image in WHOIS to reduce spam, pity the same thing wasn’t done for my phone number.)
While you may not be my domain registrar of record, the registration was handled on your site, and the confirmation email I got said:
Dear Customer,
Your email address, ***** at gmail(dot)com, has been set as the Registrant contact for 1 domain names registered through freehosting(dot)com.
Pardon me for thinking that because I registered the domain on your site, you invoiced me for the domain, all correspondence I got about it was from you, and solely referenced you, and your form email told me that my domain name was registered through your site, that you were my registrar.
What domain are we talking about?
Why does it matter? This is the only domain in my name. It’s the first domain I’ve registered in 20 years. It’s the only domain that’s ever been registered with this phone number.
So I can check the backend to see which service this relates to?
Free web hosting.
And I ask again – what difference does that make?
As above, I’d like to check the backend to see which service this relates to.
Most domains registered via 000webhost.com/Hostinger.com show
I don’t believe you are hosted here; I can’t find any hosting accounts registered for you at 000WEBHOST.COM
I have found a domain which is registered through another company and another free hosting provider, so it appears if this is the correct domain I’ve found is hosted over at FreeHosting.com (not 000wh)
I would always encourage users to register and control their domain with a well known registrar and try not to tie in their hosting alongside it unless they can’t avoid it.
^ FreeHosting[dot]com does provide ID/WHOIS Protection for a fee however 
ID Protection / WHOIS Protection is always a good call as well.
NameCheap.com > FREE usually first year of domain
Name.com > COUPON CODE : PRIVACYPLEASE for free WHOIS Protection
GoDaddy> COUPON CODE: GDHIDEME 1 year free WHOIS Protection
Completely agree with this. Although it’s unlikely, if a user falls out with their host, or has a billing dispute, it is very helpful to be able to move the service elsewhere, and change the domain to point to the new server. Waiting for domain transfers in such circumstances can add to downtime.
I agree it’s annoying, but I don’t have any confidence that such calls are “illegal”. Legality is inextricably connected to jurisdiction, which nearly always extends only to national boundaries. I see people forgetting this all the time, but it’s a good thing. Why should I as a UK national be subject to US law? The answer is, obviously, that I should not.
You may find that if you are a US national and the caller is a US company, that you have grounds for legal complaint. However, much spammy calling happens from overseas, in less-regulated environments (India, China, etc).
@halfer is right, these calls are not illegal in most countries. The ICANN (International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) requires that domain registrations come with an email address and phone number, and if you bought the domain from any accredited registrar, they submit this information to a public database called WHOIS.
As @Infinity said, some offer WHOIS protection plans, but if you bought from Hostinger, that is not currently an option. You can try creating a burner phone number on TextNow and change the registration details to match that number, as I’ve done many times before when faced with the same issue (in the past, I’ve received upto 50 spam calls a day because of domains I’ve registered).
Regardless of where you bought the domain or who you’re hosted with, this is not our fault. It’s a legal obligation to submit the required information, which you have to provide in order to register the domain. This simply cannot be blamed on us or the registrar (or the hosting company, for that matter), so calm down and consider your options.