Domain Front-running is when a domain registrar, search engine, script, or virus sees what domain you are researching then buys it. Registrars may be selling data to third parties who are then registering the domains you are considering buying. So

when you goto a registrar or even a trusted registrar, be sure to not to look to see if a domain is available to be bought unless you are ready to buy the domain right there and then.

I was suspicious of this over a year ago when I was looking up domains to buy and then sent a list to my top accounts manager at GoDaddy. The next day they were gone….. I told my account manager that someone had spyware on me or could see the godaddy searches. Anyways, he told me that the site was secure and that wasn’t the case. Well, two days ago I searched for poker domains “texasholdempkr.com” and “Onlinepokerpkr.com” and told my new accounts manager that I wanted them in an email. I was told today that the domains were in fact front-runnered. Good thing that in the email I told her that the domains were available and to “investigate if they were taken“.