Support, Please Help with Forum Spam

[Nessiee]

If you are ever looking for some new fingers to blast those posts, just let me know. I'd be happy to help since I'm constantly popping in and out of the forums anyway It's nice to see the CC members getting together to find a solution to the (seemingly ever-growing) spammer problems.

[Debbi]

It would be nice to have three or four modersators and let Celeste and Ed completely off the hook. Me, Evelyn, and two more?

Jeff, thanks so much for responding to our pleas so quickly I looked at the link you put up and it was very informative about spambots and how they work. I also found a Moderator's Guide that expalined the control panel. I keep looking for a way to delete all the posts by a particular user (the spammer) but can only see how to do it one by one, which take s so many clicks, especially when you have to confirm each one and then get back to the "new posts" page (which is where I start from). Maybe multiples can only be deleted form the ACP? Or maybe I'm missing something...

[jadedragon]

I spend too much time in this forum and not enough time writing - the spam annoys me to no end. I am an experienced admin at http://realcent.forumco.com where we have over 1000 members and almost no spam because we run a tight ship with strong Mods (you can check it out - same user name). I would be happy to help kill spam here. It is not fair to Ed who should be reviewing articles rather than deleting spam.

[jadedragon]

Two further suggestions: -
a) combine the rarely used customer forums into one forum. Less to patrol and then they would look less dead with all the posts together.
b) can topics be locked after 30-90 days? I'm seeing spam going onto threads from 2007.

Gee - I went to post this and got a message saying:

At least one new post has been made to this topic. You may wish to review your post in light of this.

Goods2010-4-1-two-102
by picture on Fri Apr 02, 2010 4:56 am

yumdeohym43
3wsoy9xpux
viut80uk
yingyong6683
finier2002

This is nuts!

[BarryDavidson]

If I'm remembering correctly, the newest versions of phpbb alow the admin to specify different types of members (for moderation purposes) without making them full moderators. It's been a while since I've browsed phpbb so it may be an option which has been removed already. I'm a 'moderator' of sorts on another forum where I can delete any post by other members, but I have to use a drop down menu with the basic reason I deleted it. I had the admin set up a hidden thread where all deleted post go to just in case one of the other moderators go on a deleting spree without cause. About once a month we go through the deleted posts to reduce the amount of server space used.

You could do this here specifying members who volunteer or who have been members for a certain amount of time.

[Zabrina]

I know I'm not around as often during the school year, but now that summer's here, I'll be haunting the forum. If you need any more spam-killing soldiers, I'm happy to be recruited.

[SuzanneBosworth]

Me too. I've got a very large hammer. Let's get the little varmints.

[dmgray]

Sorry, I started a thread in another section about the spam attacks occuring today. Forgot about this thread.

They have even posted spam in here, that is taking the mickey! I compiled a list of the names being used in the spam attack but it is growing by the minute so I will not repeat it here. I will repeat my suggestion that forum memebership should be via a CC account. These attacks are from automated forum sign-up and posting software (SENuke, Scrapebox,Xrumer or the like). If you needed a CC account to post in here, it would stop nearly all of the spam. I understand that linking a phpBB board to main site registration account is tricky, but I will look into the technical side and see of there is a solution.

I will also try to figure out another method of blocking the auto-spam (captcha is not that effective these days) and let you know. Need to get by thinking cap on!

[Evelyn]

Hugs to you for investigating! Although Debbi and I have been racing each other this morning... it's kinda fun.

[Debbi]

Evelyn,

Heh, when I get that message that the post I am trying to kill no longer exists, I know you or one of the other mods are also on the job!

[dmgray]

Ha ha, as long as you are both having fun! I was not sure how to contact someone about it, so started a thread.

I think there is a way to link the forum registration to the main site registration. So if anyone wanted to join the forum they would have to complete the full CC form. This would stop most of the spam. These people are very lazy (thats why they cannot be bothered to obtain links in the ethical manner, or at least make some constructive post when adding spammy links), if they had to fill out a big form they would give up, and the CC reg will stop most automated software.

Just need to know if this board is phpBB2 or phpBB3?

[Debbi]

dmgray,

I deleted your other thread since it was pretty much duplicating what you have posted here. Hope you don't mind.

As for the software version, here's what support said:

Regarding the forum software we're using a recent version of phpbb so if you want some advice on techniques for stopping spam that's the place to start reading. Is at http://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopi ... &t=1861645

Hope that helps!

Debbi

[dmgray]

No problem! Sorry about that, I posted before I remembered this thread.

I think that means it is phpBB3, thanks for that - helps a lot.

[Debbi]

Gah! I just deleted about 50 posts all titled "Goods2010...". There must be some way to prevent a post with a particular title or use of particular words. Or a way to search for that title and then delete them all at once. Maybe an Admin can do it but I haven't found a way to do it as a Mod.

[nicolane]

Oh the irony - this thread spammed with the title Goods 2010!

But seriously - can't the mods ban the IP's of the spammers? or at least delete thier accounts. that would reduce the mods workload.

And on that subject - If you need any more spam crushing mods - i am available!