Spam Members

**Joy** · 10-30-2007, 10:33 PM

I've had quite a few spam members join my forum today even though I have No Spam! installed. The members are using free email accounts like Hotmail, Yahoo and Gmail to register.

How do you handle members like this?

**Ryan** · 10-30-2007, 11:21 PM

Odd, No Spam! has basically eliminated all spammers here at AF

Have you checked IPs of these members?

What kind of posts are they making?

Anything else in their profile that stays the same (email address)?

**bcmtouring** · 10-31-2007, 12:13 AM

I am seeing that most of the spammers these days aren't really bots, they are actual people who are doing the spamming.

**demojames** · 10-31-2007, 12:44 AM

Like Ryan said, since I have installed it it has virtually stopped all spam on my sites. 1 or 2 may make it in a every couple of months, but nothing I can't handle.

**Joy** · 10-31-2007, 07:23 AM

I've checked the IPs and they are all different and different email addresses. They just come on the forum and post links to other sites. Usually the spammers are from India, Nigeria etc but yesterday they were all from the UK.

**Flashgear** · 10-31-2007, 12:24 PM

They are probably paid to do this, alot of traffic websites that you pay for traffic to go to your site just pay people to do it these days.

And i've never seen any spam on AF

**Joy** · 10-31-2007, 01:06 PM

I remove the spam within minutes but it's still annoying. The only way of stopping it is by not allowing members with free email accounts to join but I don't really want to do that if I can help it.

**Flashgear** · 10-31-2007, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joy

I remove the spam within minutes but it's still annoying. The only way of stopping it is by not allowing members with free email accounts to join but I don't really want to do that if I can help it.

Then you would be cutting off alot of potential members, Add email verification and keep IP banning them. Try looking for some more hacks to try and prevent this.

**Joy** · 10-31-2007, 02:15 PM

I have email verification enabled and I do ban their IPs so I'm doing everything I can at the moment. I've had two more join today so far

**Toucan42** · 10-31-2007, 02:28 PM

I don't recall the name of the hack, but I run one that captures posts into moderation for anyone dropping links or certain keywords if the user has fewer than X posts. Between the two mods I am able to contain spam before it hits the threads because most spammers are only going to post a couple times anyway.

10-30-2007, 10:33 PM	#1
Joy Veteran Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: England Posts: 752	Spam Members I've had quite a few spam members join my forum today even though I have No Spam! installed. The members are using free email accounts like Hotmail, Yahoo and Gmail to register. How do you handle members like this?

10-30-2007, 11:21 PM	#2
Ryan Forum Guru Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 10,256	Odd, No Spam! has basically eliminated all spammers here at AF Have you checked IPs of these members? What kind of posts are they making? Anything else in their profile that stays the same (email address)? __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. - Professional vBulletin Skins

10-31-2007, 12:13 AM	#3
bcmtouring Veteran Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: New Delhi, India Posts: 585	I am seeing that most of the spammers these days aren't really bots, they are actual people who are doing the spamming. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. \| To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. \| To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

10-31-2007, 12:44 AM	#4
demojames Just keeping it real Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Kent, WA Posts: 2,857	Like Ryan said, since I have installed it it has virtually stopped all spam on my sites. 1 or 2 may make it in a every couple of months, but nothing I can't handle. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

10-31-2007, 12:24 PM	#6
Flashgear Super Moderator Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1,390	They are probably paid to do this, alot of traffic websites that you pay for traffic to go to your site just pay people to do it these days. And i've never seen any spam on AF __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. - Where Innovation Meets Design

10-31-2007, 07:23 AM	#5
Joy Veteran Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: England Posts: 752	I've checked the IPs and they are all different and different email addresses. They just come on the forum and post links to other sites. Usually the spammers are from India, Nigeria etc but yesterday they were all from the UK.

10-31-2007, 01:06 PM	#7
Joy Veteran Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: England Posts: 752	I remove the spam within minutes but it's still annoying. The only way of stopping it is by not allowing members with free email accounts to join but I don't really want to do that if I can help it.

10-31-2007, 02:15 PM	#9
Joy Veteran Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: England Posts: 752	I have email verification enabled and I do ban their IPs so I'm doing everything I can at the moment. I've had two more join today so far

10-31-2007, 02:28 PM	#10
Toucan42 Veteran Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: www.NewOniTunes.com Posts: 700	I don't recall the name of the hack, but I run one that captures posts into moderation for anyone dropping links or certain keywords if the user has fewer than X posts. Between the two mods I am able to contain spam before it hits the threads because most spammers are only going to post a couple times anyway. __________________ Where's Waldo?, Book Club, Scavenger Hunt, Role Playing, Travel Guide, Photos, Videos and more. *To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.*

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