Spammers - problem members

[Bethers]

OK, we finally had our first new member that spammed in the intro post. For any of you who saw the post - it's gone - and the member has been banned.

Now, this is part of what I was trying to address back a few months ago with the requirement of new members posting. Since that caused a bit of a ruckus, I put it on the back burner. But now it must be addressed. In the next few days, I will be posting with what the decision is on that.

Now - how can all of you help? Please, Please PLEASE - if you see a spamming post - anywhere on the forum - please send me a pm with the posters name and where the post is. If you should get anything you consider a spam to you pm box, please also notify me immediately, preferably by sending a copy of the pm - I CANNOT see pm's between members - so it's important to have you send me the actual pm - so that it can be addressed.

Spammers will not be tolerated. They will be deleted as members - and any posts they make will be deleted also.

[bluepinecones]

I saw that this morning but did not know where/how to report it.
Thanks for the info.

[AlmostThere]

Guess I missed it but glad you were on it Beth. Thanks for your perseverance in keeping our forum healthy.

[Bethers]

Thanks, but I'll give credit where credit is due - to Zeee - who saw it and pm'd me - so when I was on break today - I got her message and came immediately to take care of it.

[AlmostThere]

Way to go, Zeee!

[Lotus]

Ok, you'll have to draw me a picture!! I am familiar with getting spam or rather trying to prevent spam in my email account. I'm not sure if I would recognize spam in an open post. Does it mean the person is trying to sell or advertise in her post??

Lotus

[Bethers]

Basically, yes, Lotus. But not just that. If you wanted to sell something, as a member, you could post about it. But in the case of a spammer - they don't care about being a member except to send messages or pm's, etc to others to promote something - or many somethings. And most likely, they won't even be related to rving.

[Lotus]

Gotcha!! Thanks!

Lotus

[WickedLady]

Good for Zee. It is bad enough having to fight spam in our emails without getting it here on our forum. I rarely make it here until late in the day so probably won't see any of it but glad others are on the ball.
Marda

[SeeyaGal]

I missed it too, I have had people write me and say " I'll add your blog to my site if you'll add mine" and they were commercial people....I just ignored them.

[Gentleladybear]

Ladies beware of Internet Scams:

I just recently had one and here is the story:

You receive an im from someone saying they are in Africa, but originally from Wisconsin. He states he is a widower, his wife and daugher had been in an accident and the wife died. The daughter had brain injury and the daughter is with him in Africa. After a couple of talks, he says the daughter is very very sick and needs special medicine which is expensive. She is terriby ill and he doesn't have the money for the medicine. I ask if the hospital doesn't have them, he says no they have to be bought at the store. He continues on and finally ask me for the money. I asked how much, am told he needs $450. I told him no didn't have any money. (the alarms are going off in my head at this time) He asked for my phone number, told him I didn't have a phone. He signs off saying he will be right back. He comes back, saying he contacted his clients and they have a check for him but he needs someone in the states he can "TRUST" to receive the check. He asked me for a phone number, address as he trusts me and wants me to receive the check. (harmless you are thinking?) NO it isn't harmless, as they can begin getting information about you, will ultimately want a bank account number and so on.

This is a scam I have seen in letters, but never on the internet. It has now moved to the internet ladies and can be very dangerous to all of us.

I know many of you are tender hearted and when somebody cries under these circumstances you tend to want to reach out and help. But believe me this could have been anybody talking to me, but posted a picture of a mature white male on their profile.

I contacted the internet scam division and sent all the information to them. By the fact they have a division set up for internet scam tells you this is a very serious problem.

Sorry this is so long, but be careful about falling for sob stories, it can cost you dearly.

[LegalLady]

Beth, some sites have a button after each post saying something like <click here to report spam>. So, if it becomes a problem on our site, maybe you could look into whether that can be added here. Makes it very easy to report spam. But hopefully this is an isolated instance and we wont need to do more than let you know, as you suggest.

Leslie

[Sparkle]

When I get to Huntsville I'll be closing out a bank account there. Last time I closed an account, several months later I got a letter from a collection agency saying the had purchased my outstanding debt. They were quite threatening. I took it my bank and they verified that it was false and gave me a letter stating so, I sent a copy to the scammers and also copies to the Credit Bureaus. You'd wonder how they knew I had closed my account.

[NakedPupsAndMe]

I didn't see the post but am very glad you ladies were on top of it.

[Nasoosie]

DITTO!

I am very leary of all over-the-phone things, and all internet pleas for help.

Thanks for seeing whatever it was and deleting it!