help me get rid of the spammers

[kiwi]

Ok I have just spent at least an hour looking at our members list and deleted at leat 20 of them.Should I delete them or should I go into their profile and change their passwords...hehehe i can.
I figure if I delete the they will just reregister,but if I change the passwords it will really foul up their system,or will it just reregister after a certain number of attempts.
I am tempted to put something in so that new users must put something in their profile (signature) to validate their registration.if i look at a profile and its not there they in for it!

[rapiddescent]

if we all put bike type or something in that will confuse them.  What they do is search google for YaBB and then just go through them without any knowledge of what the forum is for...

callum

[jimbo]

Ok I have just spent at least an hour looking at our members list and deleted at leat 20 of them.Should I delete them or should I go into their profile and change their passwords...hehehe i can.
I figure if I delete the they will just reregister,but if I change the passwords it will really foul up their system,or will it just reregister after a certain number of attempts.
I am tempted to put something in so that new users must put something in their profile (signature) to validate their registration.if i look at a profile and its not there they in for it!

Is this a new problem?  I haven't seen any spam with registered users.

[Carbon_Angus]

Is this a new problem?  I haven't seen any spam with registered users.

a few were obvious.

thanks Kiwi

[kiwi]

i am not sure,the spam does seem to have stopped but there were manu brand new users,no details odd names and a lot with .cashette rmail addtresses,i blitzed heaps of them.But i need to know is it "better to delete them as users or go into their profile and change their passwords...is the password change likely to stop the postingof spam message by the program they use?
 Zevs911           Novice  0   Today at 12:01pm 800  
Proporciya           Novice  0   Today at 12:15pm 801  
BabeSoldier           Novice  0   Today at 12:15pm 802  
phentermine           Novice  0   Today at 6:14pm 803  
harakeshan           Novice  0   Today at 8:28pm 804  
see the last few new members,strange names and all joined today!

[rapiddescent]

yes, the way these spam messages work is that they have webby interfaces to their own systems that can automagically post to thousands of forums all over the world.

Each will have the same email address and the emails from registering are harvested automatically to get their first passwords.  These are then entered into a database.  Changing the password bolts the door on them.

keep an eye on it because some of the BBS software out there (e.g. mambo) has common flaws that allow accounts to be setup via alternative means.  I think YABBSe is OK.

callum
rds (& IT Security Professional)

[kiwi]

so they never actually read the forums?
Callum i still intend to send you my shock
Do you want your callumw membership deleted?