Multiple Scammers

[Bartmanhomer]

These scammers are multiplying like a swarm of vermin. Every time I see a scammer post. I report it right away but more scammers post keep popping up. Is there a way to continue to report multiple scammers? Also, I think this forum needs a new rule for Zero-Tolerance rule for scammers.

[Batcathat]

I think it's already zero tolerance, it's just that for every one they ban, two more pop up like the world's most annoying hydra.

The only solution I could think of (though I'm admittedly no expert) would be to for new accounts to have to be manually approved before they could post, but considering that would mean a ton of work for the mods and a ton of frustration for legit new members, that might be more trouble than it's worth.

[Metastachydium]

I think it's already zero tolerance, it's just that for every one they ban, two more pop up like the world's most annoying hydra.

Yep. As some moderators (okay, it's really just Mr. Lee, but the others are in the same boat) likes to remind everyone who'll listen (and some who won't), like, 90% of their job is pulverizing spambots with the banhammer. That is the one reason we see so few scamspammers.

[Peelee]

Yep. As some moderators (okay, it's really just Mr. Lee, but the others are in the same boat) likes to remind everyone who'll listen (and some who won't), like, 90% of their job is pulverizing spambots with the banhammer. That is the one reason we see so few scamspammers.

The Mod on the Silver Mountain: Actually, I just did some quick math, and over the last 7 days dealing with spam was 94% of my job.

[OracleofWuffing]

If there's an incredibly blatant scammer/spambot, is it appreciated to include a "thank you" or "lighthearted comment at the bot's expense" if one is readily available at the time of the report? Or is it best just to keep reports simple and short so business as usual can be carried out in an expedient manner?

[Rawhide]

If there's an incredibly blatant scammer/spambot, is it appreciated to include a "thank you" or "lighthearted comment at the bot's expense" if one is readily available at the time of the report? Or is it best just to keep reports simple and short so business as usual can be carried out in an expedient manner?

Do you mean, should you reply to the spambot? Absolutely not. Replying just increases the spam's visibility. Please report it only.

[OracleofWuffing]

No, not as a reply, but the actual report that we send in. Like, after we click the report button and in our reason for the report, would trying to make something enjoyable out of the report be disrespectful? Some places just want to keep details slim, other places don't mind the attempt to break monotony.

For example:

"Spam."

vs.

"Obvious spambot, thanks for handling this."

vs.

"My uncle's best friend who works at Nintendo tried these magical pills before, they didn't recover the crypto I was scammed out of and also they are made in sweatshops out of powdered horns harvested from endangered species. Please delete this scam."

[Chronos]

There are a number of things that can be done short of manual account approval, but the mods here are probably already doing most of them, and some of them might not be compatible with the forum software that's used here (and the mods would probably prefer not to discuss in detail what their spam-blocking strategies are).

Just imagine how bad it would be if they didn't do all of those things.

[Rawhide]

"My uncle's best friend who works at Nintendo tried these magical pills before, they didn't recover the crypto I was scammed out of and also they are made in sweatshops out of powdered horns harvested from endangered species. Please delete this scam."

Don't do this.

[Roland St. Jude]

Don't do this.

Agreed. I would prefer you not see spam at all, so the less you have to interact and engage with spam, the better I feel about it. I know it's spam at a glance, no other information is necessary. Just report any one post by a spammer and we'll get them all--no need to report every post separately.

Just the report is fine. A short "thank you" does no harm, but doesn't really do anything for me. Some mods might feel appreciated by it, but I feel like it has a 50/50 chance of coming off sarcastic. The long story example just makes our job harder; we see it's spam, but now we have to read a thing that turns out to be irrelevant. That's going to be frustrating.