[LINK] Domain name registration

[Fred Pilcher]

A few days ago I searched for the availability of two .com.au domains on 
an Australian hosting site. Both names were available.

Today, both show as having been taken, though Ausregistry has no record 
for either.

One of the names could be a co-incidence - the other is most unlikely to be.

Is it unknown for hosting services to harvest search terms and register 
them with the intent of scalping?

Fred