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Brooklyn Community Board 3 Home Page Replaced by Ukrainian Spam Site

By Paul DeBenedetto | September 12, 2013 10:36am
 A screenshot of the ex-Community Board 3 website, from Sep. 11, 2013. The domain was purchased by a Ukrainian company.
A screenshot of the ex-Community Board 3 website, from Sep. 11, 2013. The domain was purchased by a Ukrainian company.
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DNAinfo

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — Like most community boards in the city, the website for Brooklyn's Community Board 3 is a source for Bed-Stuy residents in search of useful information.

But lately, that information has become a lot less useful.

The domain cb3bedstuy.org was purchased on July 15 by an unknown company from Kharkov, Ukraine, according to public records, and is being used to advertise psychosomatic therapy, medical examiner training, multiple sclerosis treatment and trips to an Australian beauty spa.

The domain registrar, Center of Ukrainian Internet Names, blocked the registrant's name and organization, and a man who answered the listed Ukranian phone number hung up after questions about what the company does.

Newly appointed board chairwoman Tremaine Wright said she was unaware of the company now in charge of the site and that the board was in the process of creating a new website.

"I don't know what's happening with that," Wright said. "We no longer own it."

The board first began having trouble with the site in May, when it announced it was having "technical difficulties" and said the site would be back soon. The board let the domain name expire, according to board members. It was then snatched up by the unnamed company.

CB3 plans to unveil the new site at its October meeting. In the meantime, Bed-Stuy residents looking for board information are encouraged to use the group's Facebook page, Wright said.