Site Bug

[earthwulf]

While I haven't been active on this site for a while, it has become a new spam-bot. Every day for the past couple of months, I've gotten spam about how I can download music, how my computer is infected, how I can enhance my manliness... it's been ridiculous.

[Ashjete]

I haven't had those same issues, but I'd like to do what I can to diminish them. I have sent you one of my personal e-mail addresses, and if you would be so kind as to forward the spam you're receiving from the site, I will forward it on to the site owner so we can research it further.

We have no reason to believe that a system breech has occurred. I suspect, given what we've seen in the past, a user is using the private mail and e-mail options as a loophole to reach unsuspecting accounts. I'll know for sure when I get your forwarded information.

In the meantime, here are a few suggestions for all users about some privacy options that can help protect you:

• Click on User CP, and choose Edit options.
• Locate the section on e-mail notifications and, at a minimum, make sure the following options are unchecked:

• Receive Email from Other Members - OFF
• Receive Email Notification of New Private Messages - OFF

If you are not an active user of the site, you may wish to turn off the following option:

• Enable Private Messaging

Our policies prohibit users from using the site for advertising or unsolicited messages, but that doesn't mean that they haven't found a way and we appreciate it when you bring issues like this to our attention so we can address them. As we've said since some of our problems began to escalate in 2008, malicious users are a constant battle for us and we take them seriously.

We always encourage you to contact a forum moderator if you receive spam through the Private Mail system and if you suspect that is spreading by e-mail, we'd like to address that as well. Your account security and your system options are one of the first places to begin the security process.

Cordially,
Ashjete

[aenene]

We have constantly striven to keep Vanguard Crafters as ad free, spam free and all around peaceful as can be. Despite our measures (such as requiring all new registrants to actually contact a forum mod/admin directly for proper permissions to be manually set to their account) spammers will always get through.

Your post left a few questions as to the method that the spammers are getting through to you. From time to time, people will get spam to their PM Inbox. If you receive spam via your private messages, please let someone know of the users name and a copy of the pm. We take these matters very seriously and do everything in our power to keep the user base safe.

With as much visibility as this site gets, its hard to come up with methods of keeping them out without crippling actual users or investing a lot of money in "protection" that eventually, the spammers will compromise anyways.

We are always looking for ways to combat the methods that these annoyances are using, but we do need the communities help in identifying them. I personally have never received any spam from this site, whether PM or email.

If you can get back to Ash with the information they are asking for, we will look into the issues and come up with a solution!

Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention.

[earthwulf]

Thanks - I will send you an example of the next one I get; I deleted them all before I got your message! I'll make security changes after I get the next couple so that you can see what I've been getting.