BOGUS users joining my board

jkhevents · Post by **jkhevents** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 3:12 am

Every day I am getting a bunch of bogus users setting up a membership on my board. I am guessing it has something to do with the website that they can post-- I am sure there must be some benefit they get from this.

I changed the General Configuaration to "Enable account activation" figuring that I would activate everyone's accounts, but I guess this is wrong as anyone can post on my board even without my approval and even with this setting. I don't know how to update the version I am using, so please do not ask me-- I don't have the brainpower to figure this one out by myself.

I also "Enable Visual Confirmation" so that if this was some kind of spidering smam thing, they couldn't get on but that doesn't help either.

http://wlacyclingclub.com/v-web/bulleti ... C&start=50

Take a look at these users, they are from other countries trying to get people to their sites. At first I just deleted them, one by one-- but that is very tedius at best. There doesn't seem to be a way to delete other than by putting them in one at a time.

Also, have tried all the advise on here about the timezone, still nothing works. I'm not an idiot, but I feel like it with all these issues that I am unable to resolve. Can anyone help? I am thinking I will have to hire someone to do this, and for a free board for a little cycling club it just doesn't seem worth the time. I might have to take it off.

Thank you!
Jill

espicom · Post by **espicom** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 3:51 am

The Anti-Spam Thread (not far from here...) has lots of ideas on the registration issues. Setting activation to "user" sends a link to the email address given that must be visited to 'activate' the membership; setting it to "admin" means you get the message, and have to activate them.

If you allow guest posting on ANY forum on your site, the spammers will find it!

Timezone stuff you have to set YOUR profile to see changes when you're logged in, and log out to see what the ACP setting looks like.

comperr · Post by **comperr** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 3:47 pm

Try the mod "Admin Userlist", select the users, then ban them. Also look at the IPs and see if they are in the same range, and then ban those IPs

jkhevents · Post by **jkhevents** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 10:03 pm

That was helpful-- I thought by making it ADMIN that I would approve them one by one, but the opposite happened. I am getting all the emails and they are all coming back of course as the emails are bogus. They post their websites. This is infuritating. I would love to know if there is an easier way to delete them than one by one?

I will visit the Anti Spam thread now.

espicom wrote: The Anti-Spam Thread (not far from here...) has lots of ideas on the registration issues. Setting activation to "user" sends a link to the email address given that must be visited to 'activate' the membership; setting it to "admin" means you get the message, and have to activate them.

If you allow guest posting on ANY forum on your site, the spammers will find it!

Timezone stuff you have to set YOUR profile to see changes when you're logged in, and log out to see what the ACP setting looks like.

jkhevents · Post by **jkhevents** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 10:04 pm

I actually tried this and none of the banned stuff is showing up. I am just rather inept at this so it seems! Thank you for the suggestion though, I appreciate it!

comperr wrote: Try the mod "Admin Userlist", select the users, then ban them. Also look at the IPs and see if they are in the same range, and then ban those IPs

www.anglingonline.net · Wed Jun 14, 2006 3:44 pm

Im suffering exactly the same, but can anyone tell me, if these 'registered users' arent posting, how can i get there IP address?

Ive taken all the steps mentioned, but STILL nothing works!

salesone · Post by **salesone** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 3:51 am

Man, this is disheartening.

I'm sure we will keeping patching these security risks as the updates roll on.

Dave Bean · Post by **Dave Bean** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 7:44 pm

Are they posting? If no, just do the mod to not show users without posts in the memberlist or as newestmember.

Jim_UK · Post by **Jim_UK** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 7:58 pm

This is one of the most common topics to appear on here.
My advice.
1) Be sure to set permissions on all forums to registered
2) Enable Visual confirmation
3) Install the Instant ban mod http://www.phpbb.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=186683 that does two things
a) auto bans bots that try to bypass the normal registration method
b) Stops users from adding a website url or signature to their profile until they have posted x times (x set by you)

This mod has auto banned 600 on my board in the last 3 months.

Jim

www.anglingonline.net · Fri Jun 16, 2006 5:42 pm

Could you tell me please how to get the setting where they cant add a website URL untill they have posted? Sorry if it sounds abit stupid, havent got the greatest knowledge!

All help appreciated

Ross

www.anglingonline.net · Fri Jun 16, 2006 7:59 pm

Any Help please, anyone!!

jkhevents · Post by **jkhevents** » Fri Jun 16, 2006 8:04 pm

I don't know what I am doing wrong. So I guess I will have to find someone to fix this for me as nothing I have tried here is working. I can not figure out how to do the MOD thing.

D¡cky · Post by **D¡cky** » Fri Jun 16, 2006 9:06 pm

www.anglingonline.net wrote: Could you tell me please how to get the setting where they cant add a website URL untill they have posted? Sorry if it sounds abit stupid, havent got the greatest knowledge!

All help appreciated

Ross

You have to install the MOD that Jim_UK mentioned, http://www.phpbb.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=186683
I believe there are instructions included with the MOD that tells how to change the settings for the number of posts needed to add the website.

jkhevents wrote: I don't know what I am doing wrong. So I guess I will have to find someone to fix this for me as nothing I have tried here is working. I can not figure out how to do the MOD thing.

This might help, How to Install MODs

Ramon Fincken · Post by **Ramon Fincken** » Fri Jun 16, 2006 10:34 pm

jkhevents,

I can deal with lots of bots, PM me if you want more info.
( and yes I will do it for free )

Ramon

Ramon Fincken · Post by **Ramon Fincken** » Sat Jun 17, 2006 4:16 pm

www.anglingonline.net

have a go at these lists:

Some anti spam lists wrote: English: [FREQUENTLY ASKED] Anti spambot @ phpbbinstallers.com
Dutch: Phpbb.nl's Spambots explanation and a list of mods available
Dutch: Spambots explanation and a list of mods available
English: Phpbb.com's "Anti spam thread"