MCHinson Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 We have talked about this a long time ago but it is becoming more of a problem. We seem to have more and more scammers who register on the site and then start sending scam PMs to people who have advertised wanting to buy items. The scammers are able to fly under the RADAR until they manage to scam someone and then we get a complaint that someone has been ripped off. Can we please get a Newbie group set up for new members who can post but cannot send PMs until they have 5 or 10 posts? 5 or 10 posts should be enough to either discourage most scammers or probably give them an opportunity to stick out as someone who does not know much about antique cars before they get a chance to scam a member. I know other forums have this set up so that new users cannot send PMs until they have a certain number of posts. I really think this would be helpful. I have banned a few scammers in the past two days based on them having zero posts yet sending PMs to other members in obvious attempts to scam them. 1 Link to comment
MCHinson Posted August 20, 2017 Author Share Posted August 20, 2017 In the past two days, we have had at least two brand new members sending scam or spam PMs. I have banned the two of them who were reported. I really think this is the next up and coming thing for the scammers and I really wish we could be proactive and set up a newbie group with settings to prevent this manner of scammers communicating with our forum members. 1 Link to comment
MCHinson Posted September 29, 2017 Author Share Posted September 29, 2017 We have had multiple reports of scammers. fedwards is one who we banned back on September 7th. Tonight we had a user who posted that he had been scammed out of $650 by fedwards. I realize that the user's own poor choice caused him to lose the money, but is there any way we can get a newbie group set up to prevent these scammers from registering and sending scam PMs? A Newbie group without the ability to send PMs would help us prevent these types of frauds. 1 Link to comment
MCHinson Posted September 29, 2017 Author Share Posted September 29, 2017 This is the guy who lost $650 the a PM Scammer earlier this month. 1 Link to comment
MrEarl Posted September 29, 2017 Share Posted September 29, 2017 Gotta wonder if anybody besides you and me are reading this eh Matthew ? 1 Link to comment
MCHinson Posted September 29, 2017 Author Share Posted September 29, 2017 Well, I understand that Wayne has read it and has sent an email to Peter. Maybe it will help. Link to comment
MCHinson Posted October 3, 2017 Author Share Posted October 3, 2017 Peter, Any chance of helping with this issue? Link to comment
cahartley Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 I think Harry Matthews at www.smokstak.com uses some sort of spam/scam interceptor. I'll ask him and report back if it's any good. I know for a fact he, personally, checks the ip and more of every new user who registers. It's a daunting task but he's fanatic about security. Link to comment
MCHinson Posted October 5, 2017 Author Share Posted October 5, 2017 We have a spam blocker that helps keep a lot of them out, but we still get a percentage of them that still get through. We remove the spammers that get through fairly quickly after they post spam. The problem in this instance is Scammers who register and then, without making any posts to bring attention to their identity, send scam Private Messages to users who have posted wanted ads. Sometimes these guys are desperate enough for a part that they ignore the warning signes and fall for the scammer's offer and send them money. I am hoping that we can get a newbie group created so that newbie users cannot send Private Messages until they get some level of posts that will help bring some attention to them before they get a chance to scam anyone. Link to comment
cahartley Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 Are there no ways in the Master Control Panel to set a minimum number of posts to gain full privileges? 1 Link to comment
MCHinson Posted October 5, 2017 Author Share Posted October 5, 2017 I am sure there should be. That would be controlled by Peter Gariepy, as the webmaster. I am advocating for a policy change to be implemented to set up a newbie group with limited rights for new users until they have 5 or 10 posts. 1 Link to comment
cahartley Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 Excellent. Harry got back to me with that >>> https://www.stopforumspam.com/mods It it wasn't working I know he'd have dumped it. Link to comment
Annie G Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 Hi - new moderator here but I think this is a great idea!! 2 Link to comment
MCHinson Posted October 13, 2017 Author Share Posted October 13, 2017 I just banned another newbie PM scammer. He had the same Spanish IP address as the infamous fedwards that we banned a while back. I would like to again mention that we really NEED to have the forum setup changed to put newly registered users in a Newbie group, until they have some minimum number of actual posts, before they have PM privileges. This individual has scammed at least one guy that we know of on this forum. He has returned with a new user name (at least once) and attempted to scam people here again. I really think that we owe it to our forum users to take at least this small amount of proactive measures to help try to protect them from scammers. I know that someone who has been scammed should know better, and has themself to blame, but it is not good for the club's reputation to know this is happening and not try to do something to help stop it. 2 Link to comment
MCHinson Posted October 30, 2017 Author Share Posted October 30, 2017 I just banned another Newbie PM Scammer. I really would like some action taken to help stop these Newbie PM Scammers. 2 Link to comment
MCHinson Posted November 2, 2017 Author Share Posted November 2, 2017 I have just banned scammer "Chris Berne" again... http://forums.aaca.org/topic/300990-new-scammer/ I sure wish we could get a newbie group set up without the ability to send PM's.... Link to comment
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