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Website cloning story: I make websites for small businesses. We had a client go out of business and let their domain expire. Someone re-registered the domain, and put the old website back up. Nothing we can do, no motive detected, the contact form doesn't even work. Why? SEO? Phishing?

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SEO. Backlinks for old domains are valuable.

Is it impossible (for Google/Bing etc.) to detect changes in domain status/ownership?

Even if they could detect changes in the WHOIS ownership they wouldn't be able to determine an appropriate change from an illegitimate one. People accidently let domains expire and renew them, or sell them legitimately all the time.

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