Tracing spam

Wildtim · 03-25-2008, 07:25 PM

Is there any way you could require a valid e-mail address at sign-up. That way when we get these spammers I'd be glad to back trace them and report them to their ISP.

Bruno · 03-25-2008, 08:09 PM

SRP already does.
The problem is that a lot of spam is posted by low wage pay slaves in 3d world countries and eastern european countries.

Joe is looking at the problem. Maybe he'll chime in here.

azjoe · 03-25-2008, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wildtim

Is there any way you could require a valid e-mail address at sign-up. That way when we get these spammers I'd be glad to back trace them and report them to their ISP.

As Bruno said, we do require a valid email. Most spammers just get a free email from someone like yahoo, hotmail, gmail, etc., use it long enough to do a spam run and then abandon it. They don't really care if they're cut off by hotmail, etc. because they've lied to them to get the account in the first place. When you get right down to it, it's almost impossible to know whether a new member is for real or a spammer until they post.

In any case, we'll likely add some more hurdles for the spammers when we upgrade to the next version of the forum software which has some features along that line.

bjrn · 03-26-2008, 12:52 AM

I don't know how much you guys edit the code, but one thing I've heard is quite effective against spam bots is to add a hidden check box to a signup form. Basically spam bots by default add data in all fields and check all boxes unless programmed to do otherwise. The checkbox is hidden so humans won't check it, but the bots will. Then on submit you see if the box is checked and reject if it is.

Of course, it'd be completely useless against human spammers.

azjoe · 03-26-2008, 01:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjrn

I don't know how much you guys edit the code, but one thing I've heard is quite effective against spam bots is to add a hidden check box to a signup form. Basically spam bots by default add data in all fields and check all boxes unless programmed to do otherwise. The checkbox is hidden so humans won't check it, but the bots will. Then on submit you see if the box is checked and reject if it is.

Of course, it'd be completely useless against human spammers.

Thx for the input, good info. To answer your question, we code a lot... just not in the forum S/W.

I would suspect that most of our spammers are human, or at least human assisted bots, since we have had so few succeed when other forums literally get hundreds a month. About the same number that succeed in posting are able to get registered, but not confirmed... so I'd think most of the bots are getting stopped in the registration process. Then again, it could all be circumstantial and the flood gates are about to open... that's what makes this job so interesting... ya never know what's around the next corner.

Mike_ratliff · 03-26-2008, 03:16 AM

I hate to open this door, but I've traced spammers in the past, and found that 90% came from china... If IP tracing shows the same pattern, and you don't have any active members in China you might consider doing an IP block...
Block the 3rd world countries who support the vast majority of the spam? It seems a bit extreme, but I don't think it would end up blocking any members...

Wildtim · 03-26-2008, 03:23 AM

We do have at least one member in outer Mongolia though.

azjoe · 03-26-2008, 04:41 PM

For the record, the recent couple spammers IPs trace to Russia and the Ukraine and all had gmail email addresses.

I know the spam is annoying, but lets not over-react... we only get a half-dozen or so a year. And, as I said earlier, additional precautions are in the pipeline.