Spamming?

[Laguna]

Just something I have wondered.
SPAMMING is a big problem on this board, many rude people come along and post up crap without staff permission.Aside from the fact that it is completely against the rules of the board.

My question is, is it hated so much because it is rude and against the rules?Or is it because of fraud?And people's money being at risk?
Is it likely that every SPAMMER that comes on here actually has no products to offer, and is just going to steal your money?

This may seem a bit out of nowhere, but it just crossed my mind, are these people actually selling anything?Stolen goods or otherwise?

[mjc]

The vast majority of the attempts are fraud or porn...or both.

There are another sub-class of low-lifes, those who post just to boost their search engine rankings. This group is probably more hated than the rest, because their over inflated egos usually mean that they will cause problems. They are only after self promotion, often at the expense of the original poster of a thread...and usually have a site filled with affiliate links or some kind of advertising program.

[Budfred]

Most people who SPAM are very aware that they are violating the terms of the forums that they SPAM and they don't care... Some are not outright criminals, but most are... If you give them your personal information to buy some great deal on a cell phone, you will likely find your accounts cleared out and your identity stolen... If they actually have merchandise, it is either fake or stolen...

If you visit one of the porn sites, you will come away with an infection in most cases (and it isn't technically a STD)... Again, if they can, they will rob you blind... The SPAM I find most offensive are the ones that appeal to a pedophile prurient interest with promises of teen sex...

A big reason I hate SPAM of all kinds, both personal and forum SPAM, is that it is breaking down the Internet... Something like 80% of emails that are distributed on the Internet are SPAM... Who knows at what point the system can keep working when infections are floating around everywhere, SPAM is eating up bandwidth and the criminal slime are getting harder and harder to detect and remove from computers... Will they be satisfied if they bring the whole thing down?? These are people who are so focused on increasing their own wealth with minimal effort and maximum damage to others, that they just don't care...

[saphalline]

The traffic here on the forums has increased dramatically within the last two years, forcing our membership number to record-highs. It must be 4-5 times what it was when I started here - and I wasn't even one of the first! SPAM'ing attempts also increased dramatically a few months later, forcing the increase in the number of mods.

One thing to remember is that SPAM'ing continues because it works! Just like pop-ups and phishing scams. The reason these things still exist is because there's a market out there for them. There's always the crazy wacko out there who is interested specifically in a stolen region-free cell phone, or that under-age teen sex, or that opportunity to "make $200,000 a year from your couch!". There's a sucker born every minute, and it still amazes me that these online scams don't catch them all! :p But even so, enough people "use these services", so to speak, that they continue to try.

[PrntRhd]

The moderators here hate spammers because they degrade the experience of the members who use forums.

Good members contribute their knowledge to help other members.

Spammers post to only help themselves, a very self-centered focus.

Many forum spammers also have bots, & tools that make it possible to register on many forums and post the spam automatically. They don't care about our helping other members or even the subject matter our forum is about.

[SufferWell1396]

As supriseing as it may be, there are alot of gullible people out there that are inexpirenced when it comes to the internet, and when they see a pop-up saying FREE PROTECTION AGINST VIRUS'
FREE DOWNLOAD
CLICK HERE NOW!

They click and get into a big scam.

Screensavers for instance, Generally free, Generally full of virus'.

It is tempting, and thats how SPAM works. Thats why it exists. It feeds off the inexpirenced who only want to check their emails from their son in florida, or just want to expirence the internet hype. They are self centered who prey on the innocent, and for that reason, should be shown no mercy. Period.

[Whyzman]

Our site also uses advertisers who pay to have their wares displayed before us. Spammers' products may pose a conflict of interest with our advertisers.

We're also dealing with a very crass group of Spammers who are not only hot-linking to porn sites, but are actually posting explicit crude pictures as "teasers." We're removing these as quickly as possible. Our family forum atmosphere is seriously under attack!

In general conversation during the week I'm constantly meeting folks who have no internet saavy at all. They don't know about firewalls, malware, updating the antivirus that came with their computer last year, spyware, phishing scams, etc. They have no idea they're being watched...

mjc put an unprotected Win2K on-line and was infected with Sasser within less than a couple of minutes.

Today, identity theft from Spamming is being more and more perpetrated and funded by Organized Crime folk: http://www.computerworld.com/securitytopics/security/story/0,10801,95501,00.html

Just do a Google search on Spam+organized crime...

[sassie05]

We're removing these as quickly as possible. Our family forum atmosphere is seriously under attack!

And you are doing a great job at that! I have never seen any such "teasers", so, THANK YOU for being on top of this problem, much appreciated.

I encourage people to look here for solutions to their problems and it's good to know they are in a safe and helpful environment.

[Laguna]

Just on the note of bots, could you not ban their IP's?
I have seen members and e-mail addresses get banned on here.But no mention of IP addresses.Budfred generally whois's some of the SPAMmers to reveal and humiliate them.Do the Moderators here have the power to IP ban troublesome SPAMmers?I found this solved the problem for me when I used to get this sort of thing.

I also agree that the efforts made here by the staff towards this type of thing is amazing.Generally when I report SPAM on here, less than five minutes later a Moderator shows up to eradicate it.

[Budfred]

ixl has banned some email domains and IPs, but they have found some way to get around even some of those bans... We have found a way at SpywareInfo and a few other forums to keep bots from registering, so I am asking to see if this forum software can do something similar... We have cut down on SPAMming at SWI enormously since we started using the new approaches...

[HomeSA]

I am on PCGuide for 3 reasons

1) Tight control over spamming
2) No flaming allowed
3) Wealth of knowledge and willingness to help others

P.S. Not necessarily in that order :D

[HomeSA]

As supriseing as it may be, there are alot of gullible people out there that are inexpirenced when it comes to the internet...

Not surprising at all. I see it around family and friends all the time and in most cases, friendly suggestions of help go nowhere.

A very close family member buys a new computer every 1-2 year. The reason? She says the computer gets slow and doesn't work anymore. Guess what? No firewall, no AV, no protections of any kind. I have tried and installed things like ZA, but one warning from ZA stresses her out and she wants it off the computer. Any popups, scans, warnings get on her nerves. So, instead she gets the nasties poping up and mushrooming all over the place and then she decides it's time to buy a new computer.

Saw the same thing with my kid's friend's computer (2 years old, and used for IM, downloading music, etc, I can see the picture). Mom says it "stopped working." What happened I asked. Just doesn't work, she says. Do you want me to take a look at it, I ask. No, it's time with buy a "better" computer.

I can't even bring myself (who hunts old broken PCs all the time) to ask to have/buy the old one, since it's like taking advantage of them.


Sad, very sad. Having/using a computer these days is like needing a family doctor on-call.:rolleyes:

[Budfred]

A very close family member buys a new computer every 1-2 year. The reason? She says the computer gets slow and doesn't work anymore. Guess what? No firewall, no AV, no protections of any kind. I have tried and installed things like ZA, but one warning from ZA stresses her out and she wants it off the computer. Any popups, scans, warnings get on her nerves. So, instead she gets the nasties poping up and mushrooming all over the place and then she decides it's time to buy a new computer.I install Kerio in simple mode and AVG or Avast set to automatically update on computers for people like that... I also set Windows to update automatically even though I would never let it do that on mine... I gave up trying to get them to use Firefox or other protections that require knowledge, but they seem to do okay with just those basic protections...

[HomeSA]

I install Kerio in simple mode and AVG or Avast set to automatically update on computers for people like that...

Thanks Budfred. I'll talk to her son and see if we can sneak those in. She bought a new laptop 3 weeks ago.

[jlreich]

I do exactly as Budfred does. I do install Firefox, but same as Budfred most don't listen.

Oh, Spywareblaster is a very good one to install that won't ever bother them. Yeah they will probably never update it, but at least they will have some protection.

[saphalline]

I have taken a more heavy-handed approach with my family. None of them are very computer-oriented, so it seems to work out well. ;)

Generally speaking, I leave them alone and don't chastise them for the way they use their computers. In return, they don't whine to me when something goes wrong and it was their fault. If they need me to work on a computer, I gather my tools and make a house call - and I expect something in return. Usually free food and unfettered access to any "computer junk" they have laying around (like "old" computers). If I want it, I take it. And I get a meal or two in the process.

What I usually end up doing technically is backing up their info, restoring their cr@ppy OEM system, and removing some of the software bloat. Then they start over with it using the mindset that it is now a "new" computer. And when I tell them to do something, they keep in mind that I am the family "computer god" and they shut up and listen! If they don't do it, we all know who's to blame later on. Very matter of fact and business-like.

This is what I finally ended up having to do with my family. And by the way, I don't build them computers anymore. I let them have their cr@ppy OEM systems, I stay away from their computers, and we don't usually bother eachother. Family relations improved after this! :D

As to the point of people not knowing how to operate their computers, this is largely true. 99% of the population doesn't know jack squat about security - and this is the most dangerous aspect of computers today!! Oh the things I've seen... The things we've all seen... Those frantic phone calls from your aunt late at night, and you know darn well what happened.

"What's that? You didn't even install the trial version of Norton that came with your computer? And now it won't boot to the desktop? Yeah... you'll need to wipe and restore your system. What's that? You don't have any back-ups of your data? Ok, I can be there next week-end. Oh, you can't wait that long?..." Yeah, sucks to be you! I don't say that last part. :p I just think it. These are the situations that made me change the way I deal with my family's computer problems.

[LadyGrey]

I just have to laugh at Saph, I am feeling just like you. I made the mistake of figuring out how to use the remote assistance in XP to help Mother. Oh mercy, now it's an every day or every night thing. When it comes to those awful pop-ups even after all this time of me telling her not to click on any of them, she does not have a virus, she does not need an update, her computer is not at risk, she is not a winner of a million dollars, she will still click on every one. She gets all kinds of spam email and I keep telling her not to open anything unless she knows the person who sent it. I have her AV setup to scan her email, it wasn't before, and even that nasty ole Norton is catching all kinds of things. Now my Mother I think has a valid excuse, she is darn near 87 years old, kinda makes ya wonder what the excuse is for the users of other age groups doesn't it. :p :D
As for our mods, they are doing one heck of job, I've never once come here and seen anything remotely like a nasty graphic picture, I'd probably drop my false teeth if I did and if I had em :D I think I'm so used to being so well protected when I come here that it shocks the life out of me when I'm cruisin the net and come across forums with horrible language, and pictures, flames and name calling. Our Mods have spoiled us you know! I like being spoiled:D
LG;)

[azzey]

Compared to Saph, I think my family is doing really well!

My mom just got a new HP laptop over the weekend (BestBuy gave her a new one because they couldn't fix her old one on time - the latch was broken and she couldn't open the lid - nothing else wrong with it) and yes, it has Windows Vista...

Anyways, I know Vista is supposed to be a whole lot safer, etc, but I ran Windows Update, got a handful of Vista updates (already :rolleyes:), installed AVG, Firefox, etc. She's been using Firefox for over a year now, and Thunderbird for her email. Like with Saph, I tell her what to do and she does it... I don't mind helping her (most of the time) but she's pretty well educated on the risks of spyware, spam, etc. I don't get many problems from her.

My brother, on the other hand, is your average click-on-everything-you-see user, and I swear I pull more spyware off of that computer in a day than I do in five years on mine! I've adopted a weekly reformat and force him to use Firefox and AVG, or God knows how many hours in a week I'd be fixing it...

My grandmother also uses her computer daily, and she is very competant for her age when it comes to using the internet. She uses AVG (I taught her how to update and run her scans), Firefox, etc, and I rarely get a complaint from her. Usually she'll ask for a new keyboard or something (or heatsink fan) and I don't mind giving her one!

Oh, and all these computers are built, not OEM, so it's very easy for me to maintain them. All PIII machines with 256mb, your standard internet/email machines. Very nice to work on.

So I guess I'm kinda spoiled in that way... I'm not sure what I family will do next year when I'm moved out at University!!!

[SufferWell1396]

I'm only 14 and my mom always tells people "if you have problem with your computer, Howard will help". I never have any word in this. But i do get any old computers lying around, and about 20 bucks for some spyware/virus removal, heatsink clean, and making sure the system is OK. I was amazed when we found 66033 virus' on my parents eMeat. My Compaq never has any virus'. Ive only found one trojan on this thing in a while. Working with computers... Its fun, and you get a feeling that you helped someone, with payment ofcorse :D

[PrntRhd]

We cannot stop all the spams but we certainly remove any who sneak through.