Serious problems with spam bots.

[Mist and Rain admin]

For several weeks now, I've had a major problem with spam bots that sign up and post kitchen-related spam threads. Looking into it, it seems to be a fairly widespread problem across Proboards lately, but I haven't been able to find a decent solution. I tried banning email host providers, but they've been changing so frequently that it does no good.

Worst of all? They're now signing up with gmail accounts that look perfectly legitimate, but obviously aren't.

I'm going to set my registration to require approval for now, but that's not something I want to keep doing for too long, because it's too much of a deterrent to potential new members. I'd really like to figure out some kind of a more permanent solution, if possible.

[Melody [MelloLily]]

Sadly, there is not much Proboards can do to stop this completely. On the contrary, proboards has a very good captcha system to specifically prevent most bots from entering a forum. It might even be possible that it is a real person signing up and posting the spammed sites by hand (shows that some people do not have a life). Anyway, sorry there is not much more that you can do. Just delete their account and delete their post. Good luck.

[🎶Sossity🎶]

Jan 14, 2013 21:04:03 GMT -8 Mist and Rain admin said:

For several weeks now, I've had a major problem with spam bots that sign up and post kitchen-related spam threads. Looking into it, it seems to be a fairly widespread problem across Proboards lately, but I haven't been able to find a decent solution. I tried banning email host providers, but they've been changing so frequently that it does no good.

Worst of all? They're now signing up with gmail accounts that look perfectly legitimate, but obviously aren't.

I'm going to set my registration to require approval for now, but that's not something I want to keep doing for too long, because it's too much of a deterrent to potential new members. I'd really like to figure out some kind of a more permanent solution, if possible.

Hi

An admin will get back you, when the office opens, later.

Apart from gmail, can you recall what other email services they're using? A support admin may ask you to PM him the details.

However, as pointed out in a previous thread:

Keep in mind though
that if it's a popular email service that is mostly used by legitimate
users, we won't be able to block the email service as it would impact a
lot of legitimate users.

Office hours are: 9-5, Pacific standard time.

[Mist and Rain admin]

Melody: I seriously doubt that it's legitimate people, because of how widespread it's been over Proboards as a whole, by what I've read. It might be a good captcha system, but spam bots are always finding new ways around them.

Sossity: I've deleted the others, so I don't remember them, but they seem to use a service provider once or twice at most before moving on to a new one. I don't know if that will be changing now that they've moved to gmail, though.

[Former Member]

Hi,

I have was having the same issue with those spammers that post Kitchen ware links
You could go www.stopforumspam and register a account with them
Where you can check IP's - username's - Email's for the known spammers
before you approve them - I found also using the word cencor
To block the links and what they post in signatures & posts helps..
on the word censor in the left box add the link and in the right box type link removed SPAM!

Steve

[Craig]

Jan 15, 2013 0:56:39 GMT -8 Mist and Rain admin said:

Melody: I seriously doubt that it's legitimate people, because of how widespread it's been over Proboards as a whole, by what I've read. It might be a good captcha system, but spam bots are always finding new ways around them.

Sossity: I've deleted the others, so I don't remember them, but they seem to use a service provider once or twice at most before moving on to a new one. I don't know if that will be changing now that they've moved to gmail, though.

It is a constant battle, and the Captcha is always being updated.

[pvancil27]

It's a pretty terrible way to do it, but on my Forum I just IP check all members before approving them. If the IP is from India/China/SE Asia, Its 99.99999999% of the time going to be a spammer.

[Supernova]

I had one just simply deleted their account and blocked IP address

[CheatAreZee]

Hi,

Unfortunately just confirming what Craig noted above. We do a lot on the back end to prevent spam on forums, but at times some will manage to sneak though. This isn't an issue that is unique to ProBoards either, sadly

I would recommend enabling the limited registrations feature found in your general settings link, as this will be the best solution for you to screen new members before they're able to post on the forum.

[Former Member]

Dude they show up constantly at a site I'm part of called Murders & Roses too. The admin kept on banning them but they still come back.

[michele]

Me too!!!!! Glad I found this because I just posted about this in Support (thread called Troll Keeps Registering, under a new username since I forgot my former username and password, which is the one I'm not on!).