New spam: Guestbooks signatures!

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 25 Jan 2003 9:58 am

I've noticed a new method of spamming coming up lately. People are signing the guestbook of my websites, making "general" comments that seem irrelevant to the subject, like "Wow! Great website; it loads much faster now", etc., etc. and then they sign the book and leave their "own" website address, just to try to catch your attention. On a few occasions, I've bit and went to their websites, and invariably they're selling something (not porn, just stuff: vacations, etc., etc). This appears to be a new trend in spam. Just FYI.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 25 Jan 2003 12:44 pm

Uh-oh. Do you mean that Nigerian business deal was a scam? If so, I'm probably out about $35,000 in "good faith money".

Bill Ford · Post by **Bill Ford** » 25 Jan 2003 4:22 pm

Hey Jim,
If you got any $$ left I got a few oceanfront lots left in Ky.

BF

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Bill Ford

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 25 Jan 2003 8:50 pm

Bill, I'll call ya. Y'know they ain't making any more of that these days!

[This message was edited by Jim Cohen on 25 January 2003 at 09:06 PM.]

Ernie Renn · Post by **Ernie Renn** » 26 Jan 2003 9:24 am

Welcome to the World Wide Web, JC!

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My best,
Ernie

The Official Buddy Emmons Website
www.buddyemmons.com

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 27 Jan 2003 5:32 pm

OK, but I just don't understand what some of these people are up to. Today someone signed with "Useful resource. Easy to use." Now, my website is kinda nice, but no one would legitimately call it a "useful resource" unless you happen to be doing your masters thesis on my band! And it's neither hard nor "easy" to use. It's only about 6 pages for goodness sake. Now, the signer did NOT leave a weblink that they hoped I'd follow, so I would see their "angle". Just an email address, which I have no intention of writing to. I get a lot of these kind of signatures on the guestbook. Really... what are they trying to do? I just don't get it...

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 27 Jan 2003 7:07 pm

Boy, that sure seems like an awfully slooow way to collect names for spamming: one at a time!? I'd think they'd be better off just buying or collecting up a list and shotgunning it out there...

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 28 Jan 2003 5:49 am

Ron Page, I'll get you for that. (And you know what I'm talkin' about)

Ernie Renn · Post by **Ernie Renn** » 28 Jan 2003 9:53 am

The ones I usually see have the same site address for the mail and the website links.

I don't quite know what they're up to. But I'm sure it's no good.

Just delete the guestbook entry.

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My best,
Ernie

The Official Buddy Emmons Website
www.buddyemmons.com

Ron Page · Post by **Ron Page** » 28 Jan 2003 11:55 am

Sorry, Jim.

I know that was pretty silly of me. I'll just blame it on my mood.

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HagFan

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 2 Apr 2003 8:09 am

Well, I've learned some more about this spam/scam. I went to the website where I manage my guestbook and wanted to delete some of these wierd posts, because some of them were now leaving web addresses that appeared pornographic and I don't want those links on my guestbook!

When I looked at the html of the messages they had left on my guestbook, I discovered that all of them had HIDDEN html messages (viewable only in editing mode) that contained various pornographic terms and weblinks, etc. I don't know what they're up to by putting this hidden text into my guestbook. Does this somehow mark my site for their purposes? I dunno, but that's what's happening. I deleted all the messages and was also able to mark it so that no one from those computers is able to sign my guestbook in the future. We'll see if that helps at all...

Don Walters · Post by **Don Walters** » 2 Apr 2003 3:17 pm

Since the contents of the pages can be viewed, maybe they are sending "secret messages" to ??? using the hidden stuff ??

Not very secure, but maybe hidden in almost plain sight.

sounds paranoid, but the world is a strange place right now...

Now, about JFK ...