How To Spot A Spammer

[Diggin It]

In addition to the more common spammers that post the link as a post title, this is what I've seen:


Oddball ID that isn't generally one you'd see on a rural/tractor forum. Sometimes a person's name, but not always.

Tractor or equipment is usually just a brand name or something generic like 'Two Wheel' or '4WD', never a specific current model. I've seen a few that list very old JD models.

No, or very few posts, no matter how old the ID is. If they don't get caught and booted at first, there may be several months between posts.

Often bumps months or years old threads adding comments that are barely relevant to the topic. Maybe something as simple as 'I agree', 'Interesting' or 'Good idea'. Sometimes they make more effort at blending in. Many times it will be cut and paste from somewhere else. The one this morning tried a lot harder than most, but still missed enough to make me curious.

The clincher is the hidden link or attempts to hide a link. Usually it's a word or two within the comment itself. These will be highlighted in blue text. Many times the link(s) won't be added right away. The questionable post(s) may be left for hours or days before they come back to edit and add the link. I've seen long time members respond to, quote or even 'Good Post' a number of these without realizing they're soon-to-be spammers.

I've seen a couple of new twists though. This morning, the link was in light grey text and offset from the comment. Looking back through their other four or five posts over two years, they had buried the link within the posts they had quoted and replied to, but still used the light grey text to hide it.

At least a Mod was on top of the reports and the posts and ID were removed in a few minutes.

 

[bmaverick]

Additionally, I've noticed these so called SPAMMERS on dozens of ATV and Tractor forums posting the SAME message like a cookie cutter too. They will start a thread and no longer post on it after that.

 

[sea2summit]

Take key words they post and enter it into google, first return will probably be where you just saw the data because google is that smart but if you see the same listing several places from "new" members run away.

 

[Diggin It]

Hark! There's one now!

Note the string of seemingly innocuous posts .....

And then the links start:

Note the initial post date and the edit date where the link was added a week later. Initial post would not have been reportable as such. Several other posts have also been edited and have been reported. Some were quoted by other members and given thumbs up.



Edit to add another new one:

Next previous post in that thread was Nov of '18. No link (yet) so not really reportable (yet).

 

[Wagtail]

Another group of threads/posts to be reported are 'advertisers'. Sometimes they'll post a new thread, other times they'll resurrect an old thread and, rarely, they'll join in an ongoing thread. The key is a link to their business, even if it does relate to the subject.

Muhammad has asked that these suspected posts be "Reported" as Advertising as there is a procedure for an Advertiser Member to be registered.

I reported one of these the yesterday. He was quite upfront about his business, both in his two threads and in his five thread posts. I let the Mods determine the way forward.

 

[Diggin It]

I've pegged several in the last few days just by watching the Newest Member list. Quick review shows the not really TBN related ID or avatar. Look at their one or two posts and see instantly what tells me they will soon become a spammer, even if there's no link at the time. Save a link to the ID and check back a few days later ... boom ... there's the link(s).

 

[OldMcDonald]

I received an email this morning from "John Jones" (seedslelah@outlook.com) addressed to me as OldMcDonald Tractor by Net. Is it spam?

 

[scaredychicken]

1) don't be "a Karen" ... not sure why she has the reputation

2) I've seen a LOT of spam ads on Marketplace ... tractor or car, in amazing condition, ridiculously cheap price, posted with 1 photo only, no real details, 3 or 4 seller locations (oddly, several separate communities all have the exact same landscape / same photo), messages are ghosted, no replies, and when you call them out on the spam ad ... they disappear and change their name, then resurface the next day. They can't provide a second photo, because even the one photo that they use is a cut and paste borrow.

3) these are annoying ads that are Too Good To Be True, probably phishing for your information.

 

[Cycledude]

But I also have to wonder how many good authentic new members have been mistakenly deleted-banned-chased away

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I’ve seen a few of these replies that didn’t make sense. I usually don’t go back and re read a thread, so wouldn’t catch the edit.