Second Sphere

Second Sphere Announcements, News and Community => Comments, Suggestions and Troubleshooting => Topic started by: Irisado on April 30, 2014, 11:59:52 AM

Title: Spam Account
Post by: Irisado on April 30, 2014, 11:59:52 AM
http://secondsphere.org/index.php?action=profile;u=1825 (http://secondsphere.org/index.php?action=profile;u=1825)

Looks like a spam account to me.  Just brining it to your attention in case you want to ban/purge it.
Title: Re: Spam Account
Post by: Cammerz on May 01, 2014, 02:47:21 PM
They appear every now and again, as long as they don't start posting it doesn't really make any difference to the site. As soon as a new member joins we never see them again anyway.
Title: Re: Spam Account
Post by: Chris on May 01, 2014, 07:46:03 PM
Quote from: Cammerz on May 01, 2014, 02:47:21 PM
They appear every now and again, as long as they don't start posting it doesn't really make any difference to the site. As soon as a new member joins we never see them again anyway.

Why is that I wonder... We don't bite... much....
Title: Re: Spam Account
Post by: Cammerz on May 01, 2014, 09:03:36 PM
Quote from: Chris on May 01, 2014, 07:46:03 PM
Quote from: Cammerz on May 01, 2014, 02:47:21 PM
They appear every now and again, as long as they don't start posting it doesn't really make any difference to the site. As soon as a new member joins we never see them again anyway.

Why is that I wonder... We don't bite... much....

The bottom of the main page shows the newest member, I'm pretty sure that this is where Irisado found this account. Once another person joins the spam account fades into total obscurity, these spam accounts rarely post anything and if they do it gets clamped down on very quickly.
Title: Re: Spam Account
Post by: Chris on May 01, 2014, 09:54:22 PM
My bad... I was talking about the wider spectrum. How come most of new genuine users don't tend to hang around so much...

I guess that's a different conversation for another place.
Title: Re: Spam Account
Post by: Irisado on May 06, 2014, 10:29:01 AM
The fact that spam accounts have links to all sorts of sites, some of which can be less than safe, is a very good reason for banning them.  The spam account I referred to is an example of this.  A way around this in the future would be to stop new members being able to modify their account until they have made at least one post.
Title: Re: Spam Account
Post by: Sorck on May 06, 2014, 09:07:05 PM
The 0 post group is set to deny some profile permissions... I've now gone and just flat out stopped them doing anything in their profiles.

It's never seemed to work in the past though.




Our policy is to ban rather than delete... else they can come back ever so slightly more easily.
Title: Re: Spam Account
Post by: Irisado on May 06, 2014, 10:59:16 PM
Yep, banning is much better.

The permissions should be able to be set to stop them being able to modify their profiles.  I've seen it done elsewhere, and we both know it's possible.  Trying to work it out though can be a bit of a minefield, owing to the way in which SMF's permissions system works :D.
Title: Re: Spam Account
Post by: Narric on November 06, 2014, 05:20:44 PM
Sorry for necro-ing this thread. Its a bit better to not have multiples I think.

We've had a few sapmmy accounts crop up recently.

So far we've had:
- tomjibjib
- SalomBaoBao
- DarkPureLight
Posting into random threads, and there replies have added nothing. quite literally one line of text which doesn't really make much sense in the context of the thread.

While they have nudged a few threads back into the Unread page, they're not exactly adding anything.

I've split the replies out of threads and deleted them in the contest board. The accounts don't seem to get used beyond the initial two post spam, so I'd assume they're spam-bots, of some kind. Not sure what can be done though.

Something to note in the Members list is that there are tonnes of accounts set up with zero posts, from as far back as January. Is it possible to set-up a cleanup program to automatically delete/ban a profile if it isn't posted from? I can understand if that can't be done however.
Title: Re: Spam Account
Post by: Sorck on November 07, 2014, 12:50:02 PM
Quote from: Narric on November 06, 2014, 05:20:44 PM
Sorry for necro-ing this thread. Its a bit better to not have multiples I think.

We've had a few sapmmy accounts crop up recently.

So far we've had:
- tomjibjib
- SalomBaoBao
- DarkPureLight
Posting into random threads, and there replies have added nothing. quite literally one line of text which doesn't really make much sense in the context of the thread.

While they have nudged a few threads back into the Unread page, they're not exactly adding anything.

I've split the replies out of threads and deleted them in the contest board. The accounts don't seem to get used beyond the initial two post spam, so I'd assume they're spam-bots, of some kind. Not sure what can be done though.

Something to note in the Members list is that there are tonnes of accounts set up with zero posts, from as far back as January. Is it possible to set-up a cleanup program to automatically delete/ban a profile if it isn't posted from? I can understand if that can't be done however.
I can delete based upon post count but there may be lurkers that just never post that we don't wish to delete.

I could create a lurker group that people could apply to join, then send out an email saying you have 2 weeks to join the lurker group and then, after that, delete anyone with no posts and not in the lurker group?
Title: Re: Spam Account
Post by: Narric on November 07, 2014, 01:16:20 PM
That sounds good. I'm tempted to say make sure its mention at account creation, but that could lead to spammers joining so they're not deleted.

I have considered adding some warning % to spam accounts, maybe that could be used to differentiate between the true lurkers and spam accounts?

Also, I'd assume that once your Lurker group is set-up it will notify everyone without any posts to their name? If the accout is genuine they should move right?
Title: Re: Spam Account
Post by: Irisado on November 08, 2014, 03:20:36 PM
There are a whole bunch of mods available on SMF to stop these spam accounts registering in the first place if that's an avenue you'd be interested in pursuing.  There is also a directory of known spammers where these accounts could be checked if you're looking to distinguish spam accounts with 0 posts from genuine ones.
Title: Re: Spam Account
Post by: Narric on November 08, 2014, 06:39:08 PM
The problem is the Spam accouts that actually appear when they post into random topics, thus eliminating being identified by having 0posts. they also seem to just signup, spa, then disappear again.
Title: Re: Spam Account
Post by: Sorck on November 08, 2014, 07:57:54 PM
We do use one major anti-spam mod. We used to have another but our files became a little out of sync at one point causing issues with that mod... I suppose I'll have to rebuild the 2S codebase again over Christmas. ::)

Title: Re: Spam Account
Post by: Irisado on November 09, 2014, 08:16:10 PM
Quote from: Narric on November 08, 2014, 06:39:08 PM
The problem is the Spam accouts that actually appear when they post into random topics, thus eliminating being identified by having 0posts. they also seem to just signup, spa, then disappear again.

In that case definitely need to get the mod Sorck is referring to working again, or install a different one.  Some of the ones at the end of this article (http://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/Spam_-_my_forum_is_flooded_with_spam,_what_can_I_do) could be useful, but it's up to Sorck.

Quote from: Sorck on November 08, 2014, 07:57:54 PM
We do use one major anti-spam mod. We used to have another but our files became a little out of sync at one point causing issues with that mod... I suppose I'll have to rebuild the 2S codebase again over Christmas. ::)

Sounds like a plan to me :).
Title: Re: Spam Account
Post by: Cammerz on November 15, 2014, 04:35:15 PM
Quote from: Narric on November 08, 2014, 06:39:08 PM
The problem is the Spam accouts that actually appear when they post into random topics, thus eliminating being identified by having 0posts. they also seem to just signup, spam, then disappear again.

Looks like another one showed up this morning, what's the point in them? They aren't even trying to make us buy things, steal our bank account details or download viruses onto our computers.
Title: Re: Spam Account
Post by: Sorck on November 16, 2014, 01:35:30 PM
Narric, if you see a suspected bot then you can add them to the "Kroot-bot" group - it should then make them obvious in the user list.

Quote from: Cammerz on November 15, 2014, 04:35:15 PM
Quote from: Narric on November 08, 2014, 06:39:08 PM
The problem is the Spam accouts that actually appear when they post into random topics, thus eliminating being identified by having 0posts. they also seem to just signup, spam, then disappear again.

Looks like another one showed up this morning, what's the point in them? They aren't even trying to make us buy things, steal our bank account details or download viruses onto our computers.
They could potentially start up en-mass I suppose later on.
Title: Re: Spam Account
Post by: Narric on November 20, 2014, 06:08:14 PM
Not seeing any clear options to put people into that group :-\
Title: Re: Spam Account
Post by: Sorck on November 20, 2014, 08:35:16 PM
In a couple of weeks I have some time off so will look at rebuilding the code base to include some more anti-spam mods then. :)
Title: Re: Spam Account
Post by: Narric on November 20, 2014, 11:07:28 PM
Found the Groups page after posting that, and forogot to update my post :P
Title: Re: Spam Account
Post by: Mabbz on November 26, 2014, 12:46:03 PM
A couple more just turned up :P

Out of curiosity, how many active moderators do we have that can deal with them? Is it just you two?
Title: Re: Spam Account
Post by: Thantos on November 26, 2014, 01:01:10 PM
Semi active, but busy up to my ears with work.

Maybe we should buy the TO domain back xD return to the glory days, we had an exodus, lets have an enterus? :P
Title: Re: Spam Account
Post by: Sorck on November 26, 2014, 01:10:47 PM
Quote from: Thantos on November 26, 2014, 01:01:10 PM
Maybe we should buy the TO domain back xD return to the glory days, we had an exodus, lets have an enterus? :P
That would be expensive. :P

Though we could find an amusing selection of themed domain names.
Title: Re: Spam Account
Post by: Narric on November 26, 2014, 02:26:01 PM
Quote from: Mabbz on November 26, 2014, 12:46:03 PM
A couple more just turned up :P

Out of curiosity, how many active moderators do we have that can deal with them? Is it just you two?
Yeah, just Sorck and I. I believe a few of the old guard still have priviledges, but they're often having a life so don't return.
Title: Re: Spam Account
Post by: Irisado on November 28, 2014, 10:09:49 AM
The solution is to stop them registering in the first place, as that would save any active moderators the work of having to ban/delete them and delete their posts.  That's why I suggested adding some of the anti-spam mods SMF offers.
Title: Re: Spam Account
Post by: Sorck on November 28, 2014, 01:13:57 PM
In 8 days I will be in the position to make said changes. :)
Title: Re: Spam Account
Post by: Narric on November 28, 2014, 09:18:57 PM
I'll boot the known spammers in the Kroot-bot group for the time being. Better to do them in lots rather than one at a time :P
Title: Re: Spam Account
Post by: The Man They Call Jayne on September 30, 2015, 05:08:50 AM
Not sure if this "Leayhuiz" account is genuine. Saw a nonsensical reply to a thread from 2 years ago. But couldn't check the other posts due to "high server load" somehow.
Title: Re: Spam Account
Post by: Narric on September 30, 2015, 07:47:38 AM
Their posts have been deleted and a standardized message sent to them. If they're a genuine person, they'll either decide to leave becuase I deleted their posts, or they'll start fresh correctly.
If they're a bot, this'll be the last we hear of them :P
Title: Re: Spam Account
Post by: The Man They Call Jayne on October 05, 2015, 04:05:28 AM
Possibly a bot, or just a spammer.

http://secondsphere.org/index.php?topic=2054.msg36720;topicseen#new
Title: Re: Spam Account
Post by: Sorck on October 07, 2015, 04:23:44 PM
@The Man They Call Jayne - dealt with that one.
Title: Re: Spam Account
Post by: The Man They Call Jayne on December 25, 2015, 08:36:07 AM
Is this guy real? Both his posts seem to be gibberish. http://secondsphere.org/index.php?action=profile;u=1893
Title: Re: Spam Account
Post by: Narric on December 25, 2015, 10:24:05 AM
I leave to sort out breakfast and spam bots invade *rolls eyes*