From dirk at haun-online.de Wed Feb 8 11:46:03 2012 From: dirk at haun-online.de (Dirk Haun) Date: Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:46:03 +0100 Subject: [geeklog-spam] Many new users ... Message-ID: <20120208174603.Horde.X2zSfklCcOxPMqbLKrcDXSA@webmail.df.eu> Just a quick note: I've noticed a suspicious wave of new account signups on geeklog.net. I haven't had the time to look into the details, but many seem to be cases of profile spam, i.e. user is created, logs in, edits profile (with a URL to a site that wants to sell you something), then never comes back. Specifically, there were a bunch of users today that used @brucepoint.com as their email address. I'm not saying it's that site that's spamming - they may simply be using their email addresses. I like our regular users to benefit from their profile being on geeklog.net (i.e. help them somewhat with their ranking). I don't like it when spammers benefit from that same effect. We may have to come up with some fresh ideas there ... bye, Dirk From dirk at haun-online.de Sat Feb 18 13:26:40 2012 From: dirk at haun-online.de (Dirk Haun) Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2012 19:26:40 +0100 Subject: [geeklog-spam] Many new users ... In-Reply-To: <20120208174603.Horde.X2zSfklCcOxPMqbLKrcDXSA@webmail.df.eu> References: <20120208174603.Horde.X2zSfklCcOxPMqbLKrcDXSA@webmail.df.eu> Message-ID: <190C0F57-BDCA-46A0-878B-3F6A84375EAF@haun-online.de> > Just a quick note: I've noticed a suspicious wave of new account signups on geeklog.net. Turns out there's a site selling instructions on how to create backlinks by setting up fake profiles on sites with PR 5 or higher, and one of the sites listed in those instructions is geeklog.net I've looked at the logfiles and from what I can see all the fake accounts that have been created were done by human labour, not by bots. I've caught one IP address from the Philippines in the act of creating new profiles, for example. My guess is that this is done through "micro outsourcing", i.e. pay some poor soul in a 3rd world country a few dollars to work their way through the instructions on how to set up a fake profile on geeklog.net (and a bunch of other sites). That also explains the variety in IP addresses, browsers used, and other indicators. Nothing there that can be blocked easily :-/ bye, Dirk /cc'ed to geeklog-devel -- http://www.themobilepresenter.com/