Heads up, this board's attracted spambots

[Nerva]

So I spotted a spambot post today on the boards.  I've reported it, and I have faith the mods will get to purging it with fire as its deserves.

 

But hey, in case anyone has never seen a spambot and doesn't know one looks like or what to do...

 

If you see any posts from a brand-new registered user with obviously copypasted text, irrelevant content, and a bunch of random links, do not reply or click any links under any circumstances; the health and security of your computer is at stake.  Instead just click the "..." in the upper right corner of the post, and click "Report" from the dropdown menu.

 

Spambot posts tend to look like this:

 

Quote

hi i am ingrid from sweden and i know everything about extend your FREEM i am pleased to meet you all and help you get hueg SWOLE now you can find me at ghETTo BLAsteR SALe i hope to hear from you soon!

 

Note that those aren't links, just facsimiles of them.

 

If you did click a link in the post, kill any tabs that pop up as a result (close the browser entirely if you need to), and do not click any popups or dialogue boxes the link gives you, even if they look like your virus scanner, malware scanner, OS, or other programs.  If it asks for your login information, do not enter anything - just close the tab or browser immediately.  Even if it looks exactly like the forum's own login page. You may want to purge your browser cache and do a malware & virus scan, just to be safe.

 

I know someone's going to say that it's obvious, but you'd be amazed how many times I've seen people fall for these scammers.

 

Edited December 23, 2021 by Nerva
I don't want that to be any of you folks

[Shred Monkey]

I don't know... Ingrid sounds like she'd be a lot of fun... and I do love hueg SWOLE.  Are you sure I can't click the link?

[Nerva]

3 minutes ago, Shred Monkey said:

Are you sure I can't click the link?

 

Well, I mean, my example doesn't actually have any links, just facsimiles, so I guess you can click those to your heart's content.

 

Just so long as you don't click the links in an actual spambot post, you're good.

 

Edited December 23, 2021 by Nerva
Trimmed up for readability.

[Cipher]

The anti-spam service that Invision provides is very good, but unfortunately a bot does make it through every so often. Went ahead and flagged them as such, removing all of their content on the site.

 

Thanks for reporting the thread as spam!

[Nerva]

6 minutes ago, Cipher said:

Went ahead and flagged them as such, removing all of their content on the site.

 

Thanks for reporting the thread as spam!

 

Glad to be of service, and thank you for going full protocol on a deserving target.  Promptly, too, that thing only lasted an hour or so before it was excised.

 

Edited December 23, 2021 by Nerva
You know you'd think autocorrect would help you make less mistakes, not more...

[Luminara]

In ~30 years, we've gone from spam which was easily discernable due to the broken English and atrocious grammar... to spam which is easily discernable due to the broken English, atrocious grammar and obvious copypasta detritus.

 

Well, at least they learned how Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V works.  Should only take another 30 or 40 centuries to pass the Turing test.

[The_Warpact]

24 minutes ago, Shred Monkey said:

I don't know... Ingrid sounds like she'd be a lot of fun... and I do love hueg SWOLE.  

I'm down if it involves a love swing, gummy bears, and Rammstein's Ich tu der weh playing on the ghETTo BLAsteR.

[Nerva]

29 minutes ago, Luminara said:

obvious copypasta detritus.

 

I appreciate that you can use the word 'detritus' correctly.  Not even being sarcastic at all, here.  It's a nice, crunchy word, and probably the the classiest and most succinct way to say "leftover garbage" I've ever heard of.

 

Edited December 23, 2021 by Nerva
I am not Hank Hill and I do not want to sound like him.

[Marine X]

Did someone say Spam?, mmmm, Spam and eggs with some roasted baby gold potatoes, mmmmm, now I'm hungry, crap...

 

[Bill Z Bubba]

2 minutes ago, Marine X said:

Did someone say Spam?, mmmm, Spam and eggs with some roasted baby gold potatoes, mmmmm, now I'm hungry, crap...

 

[InvaderStych]

But ... but ...

 

... we already get Limitless Radial Freem, no extension needed.

 

0/10 for Social Engineering on that spambot.

 

[Shenanigunner]

3 hours ago, Nerva said:

I appreciate that you can use the word 'detritus' correctly.  Not even being sarcastic at all, here.  It's a nice, crunchy word, and probably the the classiest and most succinct way to say "leftover garbage" I've ever heard of.

 

Great word.

 

Add to it the marvelous 'gritware.'

[Glacier Peak]

13 minutes ago, Shenanigunner said:

Great word.

 

Add to it the marvelous 'gritware.'

I hate the spelling of 'hammock,' but I enjoy saying it out loud 😄

[Hardboiled Hero]

4 hours ago, Luminara said:

In ~30 years, we've gone from spam which was easily discernable due to the broken English and atrocious grammar... to spam which is easily discernable due to the broken English, atrocious grammar and obvious copypasta detritus.

 

Well, at least they learned how Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V works.  Should only take another 30 or 40 centuries to pass the Turing test.

 

Pfft!  It was an easy spot.  The language and grammer were far too clear for anyone who is actually trying to communicate with Americans or Brits.

[Techwright]

6 hours ago, Marine X said:

Did someone say Spam?, mmmm, Spam and eggs with some roasted baby gold potatoes, mmmmm, now I'm hungry, crap...

 

This thread is dangerous. In addition to your contribution, I've also seen words referencing "pasta" and "grit(s)", and another word that looks like "hamhock".   😋

 

 

Joking aside, thanks @Nerva for bringing this to everyone's attention!

[Nerva]

1 minute ago, Techwright said:

Joking aside, thanks @Nerva for bringing this to everyone's attention!

 

Glad to be of service.

[SeraphimKensai]

8 hours ago, Cipher said:

The anti-spam service that Invision provides is very good, but unfortunately a bot does make it through every so often. Went ahead and flagged them as such, removing all of their content on the site.

 

Thanks for reporting the thread as spam!

You're supposed to be off today. Go home, you're drunk.

[Nerva]

1 minute ago, SeraphimKensai said:

You're supposed to be off today. Go home, you're drunk.

 

Funny how that happened.  I saw Cipher show up in the online users list mere minutes after making the report.  Cipher then posted in the holiday leave thread, and put up the notification at the top of the boards about it.

 

I'm guessing he nuked the spambot while he was here.

[Oubliette_Red]

9 hours ago, Bill Z Bubba said:

 

 

 

 

[JnEricsonx]

"Oh s--t there goes the planet."    -from a hysterical classic

[Outrider_01]

So sad no one said it from the spam post....

 

FREEEEEEMMM!

[Sovera]

I may be getting older, but I get downright pissed at seeing spam like 'Hot single wants to meet you for sex'. I mean, really pissed. Not in a puritan level, but on the most basic of functions of using such idiotic calls in the year two thousand and twenty one.

 

What mental age am I supposed to be having to see such a thing and click on it? What IQ do the spam makers assume that I have?

[Bill Z Bubba]

13 minutes ago, Sovera said:

What IQ do the spam makers assume that I have?

 

Would they continue doing it if it never worked? Also, have you met people? Just think of the average level of human intelligence and then remember that half of them are stupider than that. (Apologies to Carlin for the paraphrasing.)

[Without_Pause]

I know some might not like it, but two-factor authentication would really axe this sort of thing.

[UltraAlt]

On 12/23/2021 at 8:01 AM, Marine X said:

Did someone say Spam?, mmmm, Spam and eggs with some roasted baby gold potatoes, mmmmm, now I'm hungry, crap...