Spam accounts

[Mandelstam]

I've noticed there's been quite a few spam posts lately. Always around fitness/herbal miracle cure etc..

Has the bot software gotten too clever and can get past the "bot security" at sign up or are there actually people sitting around and signing up for all these forums to make posts?

I'm not too bothered about it so mods, don't take it as criticism. I'm just curious basically lol. :)

 

[Brew12]

I've noticed there's been quite a few spam posts lately. Always around fitness/herbal miracle cure etc..

Has the bot software gotten too clever and can get past the "bot security" at sign up or are there actually people sitting around and signing up for all these forums to make posts?

I'm not too bothered about it so mods, don't take it as criticism. I'm just curious basically lol. :)

I've noticed that too. If you do see one, help the mods out and use the "Report" feature. They normally take them down fairly quickly.

 

[Mandelstam]

I've noticed that too. If you do see one, help the mods out and use the "Report" feature. They normally take them down fairly quickly.

Yea, I usually report them when I see them. :)

 

[don_chuwish]

I've reported quite a few in just the past 24 hours.

 

[DLHDesign]

Has the bot software gotten too clever and can get past the "bot security" at sign up or are there actually people sitting around and signing up for all these forums to make posts?

To some degree; yes - both. The anti-spam features that are commonly out there have a shelf-life - they work great at first because they are new and novel. But over time, they break down as people interested in breaking through them overcome the technical challenges of doing so. Ultimately, those "security" measures are limited in their ability to progress. They can only be so difficult to get correct before they become a burden on the actual users who should be able to get past them. So just from a technical perspective, those devices in general have a limited time of viability.
But also, labor capable of using the internet is getting cheaper. Paying someone barely anything to create accounts and posts anywhere and everywhere has become something - much like spam emailing still is - that potentially makes positive financial sense. Even just one person out of 20 clicking on the link could (in theory) generate enough add revenue to pay the costs involved...

 

[Tahoe61]

I've noticed that too. If you do see one, help the mods out and use the "Report" feature. They normally take them down fairly quickly.

Thank you. :-)

 

[maroun.c]

Thank you for reporting any that the mods haven't noticed in time...

 

[Cabinetman]

I run my own small local forum and they even spam us. I had to make it so Amy new user needs approved before being able to post. Pita

 

[don_chuwish]

Brand new accounts posting URLs as thread titles - doesn't seem so tough for a spam blocker to catch. Something broken?

 

[JoshH]

I report them when I can but I must say that lately they seem to have become an epidemic. It's unfortunate these companies really think this type of advertising works.

 

[Jeepguy242]

i have reported 2 of them just tonight...


its getting bad

 

[Hasreef]

They have do something about there 3 on home page it's only geting worst

 

[Jeepguy242]

im up to 6 reports now....

i could make a drinking game outta this

 

[Mandelstam]

It sure seems to be getting worse...

 

[don_chuwish]

Just reported four in a few minutes. All the same pattern - new user, URL as the subject of the thread. Really seems like a decent blocker should be able to catch that!

 

[Breadman03]

Just reported four in a few minutes. All the same pattern - new user, URL as the subject of the thread. Really seems like a decent blocker should be able to catch that!

I think I reported a dozen posts this morning, though we may have gotten some duplicates. The mods have to sleep sometime.

 

[Brew12]

I have fun with these. I always try and make a humorous comment to the mods when I find them.

 

[S-t-r-e-t-c-h]

I report them when I can but I must say that lately they seem to have become an epidemic. It's unfortunate these companies really think this type of advertising works.

They’re mostly to help lift crap companies in search rankings. Having links posted on other sites tells google and the other search engines that a website is more legitimate so you wind up closer to the front page of search results.

The spammers don’t even really care about their accounts being banned. It the forum doesn’t actually delete the post then the spammer has succeeded. There are a lot of forums that leave the posts, btw...

 

[Jeepguy242]

We need to change it to new members posts are moderated for 24 hours that would cut the spam

Or new members can’t post for 24 hours

These guys are 1 hit wonders. They join. Make their posts and never come back. If they can’t post immediately they move on

 

[Mandelstam]

Couldn't read the whole post as I'm not a registered user but this seems to work great for some XenForo forums according to comments:

https://xenforo.com/community/resources/block-spam-completely-with-no-addons.4065/