Author Topic: Spammers Among Us  (Read 15723 times)

Toy Ranch

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Spammers Among Us
« on: October 06, 2011, 11:15:58 AM »
Every day is a battle against spammers at the UMA.  We could stop spammers almost entirely, but doing so would make it more difficult to register for the UMA, and would ultimately make more work for us, and make this a less open group.  Instead we have chosen to zap 'em when we see 'em. 

Most spammers are "bots".  There isn't an actual person registering and posting stuff, it's an automated process.  A program is written to register ID's at forums, using the standard registration process.  Then the spambot is in and may lay dormant for a while, or may start spamming away.

The thing to realize is that  the spammer is not reading your replies to them, it's just a bot.

Sometimes they actually resemble a real person poster.  I don't want to start a "witch hunt" that might cause new members to be falsely accused, but here are a few things to tip you off.

Obviously, the posts with inappropriate photos or content are spam.  And sometimes there are relatively incomprehensible posts that are also spam.  Usually these have a link in the sig line.  That link may be to a commercial website selling something, but it also may be to a website that is unsafe and loads a trojan virus on your computer.  A trojan may not do anything to your system other than slow it down a little.  Actually, what it has done to your computer is turn it into a "zombie".  The person who sent out the spambot to the UMA (and elsewhere) now has the ability to control your computer remotely, and use it to register for other forums and post more spam.  You won't even know this is happening.  They can also log all of your keystrokes and possible get access to your financial accounts (although this has gotten harder for them).

Sometimes spambot posts are more subtle.  I removed one today.  It said:

I've always been a bit of a fan of action but not so much horror. supernatural seasons 1-6 DVD is the exception. Not only is it full of action and monsters of every kind you can think of, and a whole lot you've never heard of, but the plot line is brilliant and intriguing. The chemistry between this cast is excellent and the acting is such that you're engrossed from the opening to the credits. It's enough to believe that there really are two brothers fighting out there to keep "the evil sonuvabitches" out. I've even got a couple friends into the series. I recommend Supernatural to anyone. supernatural seasons 1-6 DVD has got an amazing storyline and characters, action, thrills, and humor that will never leave you bored.

The post had several links embedded in it to buy the DVD of the show (or maybe just load a trojan on your system, I didn't actually click them and removed them for this post).

If you do a search using google, and put the search terms in quote marks, the search result will give you only results that have the exact words, in the exact order.

"I've always been a bit of a fan of action but not so much horror."
http://www.google.com/search?q=I%27ve+always+been+a+bit+of+a+fan+of+action+but+not+so+much+horror.+supernatural+seasons+1-6+DVD+is+the+exception.&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a#sclient=psy-ab&hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&hs=vmW&rls=org.mozilla:en-US%3Aofficial&source=hp&q=%22I%27ve+always+been+a+bit+of+a+fan+of+action+but+not+so+much+horror.%22&pbx=1&oq=%22I%27ve+always+been+a+bit+of+a+fan+of+action+but+not+so+much+horror.%22&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=d&gs_upl=6734l13618l0l13655l49l7l0l0l0l7l73l421l7l7l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.,cf.osb&fp=334e87e3bc984f2f&biw=1680&bih=863

So this is just from the press release for the show, with (at present) 665 results.

Here's the same post with the same links (don't click 'em!!!) on a Saab car forum.  They may zap it at some point, and this link may be dead.

http://www.saabing.com/board/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=97809&view=next

Here is the same one again in a Pony forum.

http://www.ponymatters.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4062

That's the same bot that posted here.

********************************************

When you see these, please don't reply to them.  Go to the 'Report to Moderator' link in the corner and hit that.  It sends us a link to the exact thread or post, and makes it much  easier to zap it.  If you are suspicious but not sure, hit the Report button and we'll check it out.  We won't zap a newbie who isn't spamming by accident, there are a number of ways to check these things out that we have, and will make sure.  That way, if it's someone real, they won't get zapped or zinged by accident at the UMA, and spammers will disappear in a hurry!

Thanks!


Tor

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Re: Spammers Among Us
« Reply #1 on: October 06, 2011, 11:39:27 AM »
Yikes! "Zombie computer"?!?  Wasnt that the work of Ed Wood??  (Sorry, terrible joke.)

Scary stuff.  NO spam for me, please.  (Not unless its fried crispy and served with egg yolks.)

Thanks for the heads up.  Is good for people like myself that maybe arent the most computer literate.  That post about the Supernatural program sounded like a 1950s tv spot pitch to me, ha.  "Watch Supernatural!   Proven to fight cavities and enhance your sex appeal!"
"I dont care about pollution, I'm an air-conditioned gypsy, thats my solution.  Watch the police and the taxman MISS me!"
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RedKing

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Re: Spammers Among Us
« Reply #2 on: October 06, 2011, 09:28:09 PM »
How about the Spam eggs bacon sausage and spam?
(bloody vikings!)
Crazy am I? We'll see if I'm crazy or not!

Tor

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Re: Spammers Among Us
« Reply #3 on: October 07, 2011, 07:16:46 AM »
How about the Spam eggs bacon sausage and spam?
(bloody vikings!)

I'll take a platter, please.  (But hold the 'bloody vikings'!)
"I dont care about pollution, I'm an air-conditioned gypsy, thats my solution.  Watch the police and the taxman MISS me!"
BEEP! BEEP!

Sean

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Re: Spammers Among Us
« Reply #4 on: October 07, 2011, 07:54:00 PM »
I'm pretty sure Scatter is a Spam-bot. :o

Scatter

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Re: Spammers Among Us
« Reply #5 on: October 07, 2011, 08:00:42 PM »
That's right...........I've been here for 3 years and over 10,000 posts just setting up all you suckers for the big payday when you finally see the product I'm pushing;

 
We're all here because we're not all there.
http://www.distinctivedummies.net/index.html

Sean

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Re: Spammers Among Us
« Reply #6 on: October 07, 2011, 08:31:17 PM »
That's right...........I've been here for 3 years and over 10,000 posts just setting up all you suckers for the big payday when you finally see the product I'm pushing;

 


Ooooooooo.... How does the sizing work?  And do they come in boxers?

Flower

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Re: Spammers Among Us
« Reply #7 on: October 07, 2011, 10:25:43 PM »
I'm not a fan of Spam but I do make some incomprehensible remarks from time to time ..

"There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats" ...  Albert Schweitzer

Zardoz

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Re: Spammers Among Us
« Reply #8 on: October 08, 2011, 03:24:37 PM »
That's really odd
I just happen to be
sitting here in my handerpants
eating a Spam sandwitch
 :laugh:

Scatter

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Re: Spammers Among Us
« Reply #9 on: October 08, 2011, 11:39:19 PM »
That's really odd
I just happen to be
sitting here in my handerpants
eating a Spam sandwitch
 :laugh:

At least the skidmark on the handerpants will be easier to explain then.
We're all here because we're not all there.
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ChattyLMS

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Re: Spammers Among Us
« Reply #10 on: October 09, 2011, 09:52:35 AM »
First Spam then handerpants.  What's this world coming to.  How about eating a Spam sandwich handerpants on?

Thanks for the heads up on the spammers.  Some idiot makes it hard for us honest people to enjoy ourselves.
Laura ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)

Count_Zirock

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Re: Spammers Among Us
« Reply #11 on: October 12, 2011, 05:24:21 AM »
Just saw my first one earlier this evening. Man, they're SNEAKY, too! The body of the post was some lame joke, and the ad links were in the signature field.
"That's either a very ugly woman or a very pretty monster." - Lou Costello

The Drunken Severed Head

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Re: Spammers Among Us
« Reply #12 on: October 16, 2011, 02:48:48 AM »
[
Just saw my first one earlier this evening. The body of the post was some lame joke

That must have been my post, but I swear it wasn't spam!

Dr Acula

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Re: Spammers Among Us
« Reply #13 on: February 16, 2012, 02:42:58 AM »
i must be living in the 1800's i didnt realise this could be done!

The Batman of Gotham

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Re: Spammers Among Us
« Reply #14 on: May 21, 2016, 07:37:42 PM »
[
That must have been my post, but I swear it wasn't spam!


LOL!  Max, you're a hoot!

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