UBB.threads PHP Forum Software Community Forums UBB.threads 6 Version 6 Support Spam posting bots registering!!!!!!!

I'm not sure if this is the appropriate forum, but I just wanted to see how many other people are noticing this.

Over about the past month I have noticed that someone, and I'm assuming it is a script, is trying to register on my website, with the intention of either posting spam on the board or harvesting email addresses. Typically the registration name has a bunch of zeros in it so like "000Cialis" or something, and the associated email address is a spammer looking email. This is increasing in frequency to about once every three days or so.

I'm wondering how many other people have noticed this and what might be able to prevent this from happening, becasue approving 20 some registrations a day is a pain, especially if i want to do something novel like go on vacation.

It's not a bot - it's a person - they have registered here and at many of my boards (20+ sites at least) looking to put home page links (links back to their sites) to increase their google ranking. He prefaces the usernames usually with 00 but sometimes aa etc.... so it will appear on page 1 of the user list.
I threatened him with Legal action and he stopped at my site.

But it's a human, because he goes through the process to verify the email address and makes up various profile information to look legit (even chooses avatars, locations, birthdays etc....).

I've tried banning the IPs - but they move around alot - mostly out of the netherlands I believe.

<knock on wood> All has been quite on my site since I altered my "Rules" at signup. See the big bold section for what I added to stop him. <img src="https://www.ubbcentral.com/boards/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

http://www.joshuapettit.com/beta/ubbthreads/newuser.php

<img src="https://www.ubbcentral.com/boards/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Nice work Josh! Yeah I guess that makes sense.

I was watching the Daily Show with Jon Stewart and they had some famous spammer on, it was pretty funny, they call themselves "high volume emailers" and say people call them requesting it ROFL.

Can you imagine calling and requesting it??

I just noticed I have a bunch of these too. Is there any easy way in 6.4 to mass delete these 0000xxxxxxxxxx user accounts? I can't really do the inactive user deal because I have a group of sporadic visitors. Right now I've got about 25 bogus 0000 registrations, just looking for a quicker way to do some kind of mass delete.

DOUG! Long time no see!

Hi JoshPet,

Well, I am from the Netherlands and can not see your site? Did you block my IP because of this reason?? <img src="https://www.ubbcentral.com/boards/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Because if I use a different IP, by means of an "anonymous on internet" program, there is no problem seeing the site...

Joshpet??

I may have blocked a range of IPs on a server level to get things in check.

That's a pity; I never posted anything on your site and are excluded.. Well, never mind, good luck with your site!

<img src="https://www.ubbcentral.com/boards/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />j

But there's no IP bans in place now. <img src="https://www.ubbcentral.com/boards/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> Not sure why you can't access - I used them back when I had a problem with this spammer.

Hey Dutch....

Come over to my site......I don't block anybody.....

I have two of the FBI'S most wanted list, and
I even have 4 "sleeper cells" enrolled on my site.....


www.muskymansports.com

I'm also from the Netherlands and get this when trying to register at your board:

[]We cannot proceed.

This IP address has been banned from the community.
[/]

Just admit you hate Dutch people! <img src="https://www.ubbcentral.com/boards/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />