spammer activity?

[Larry Meyer]

Last time I logged on I noticed another user logged on was KittyViagra, or something like that. A bit later, when I checked my regular email in box, I had some viagra junk mail. Are spammers able to lift my email address from my visits to this site and then spam my regular email in box?

 

[Benson Gray]

The short answer is no, you have not significantly increased your spam exposure by registering in this forum. You have also wisely selected not to advertise your private electronic mail address if your WCHA member profile so that will further reduce the risk of getting your address added to a spam list. The forum administrators have access to your electronic mail address so there is a small risk that the forum could get hacked by a spammer who would then add everyone's address to their lists but they have easier ways to collect addresses.

Spammers register here all the time and some occasionally will even post inappropriate advertising that the administrators have to manually remove and then disable the spammer's account. (You will notice that "KittyViagra" is not currently on the member's list here.) The web site itself was hacked recently but that hole has been repaired and it does not appear to have been done by a spammer. All of this is just part of life on the internet so I wouldn't worry about it too much. Please reply here if this doesn't answer your questions.

Benson Gray
WCHA webmaster / 3

 

[Larry Meyer]

Thanks. I wasn't all that worried, really more curious than anything. Wanting to know if its the way spammers work.

 

[Benson Gray]

Spammers clearly are trying to abuse this forum. We currently average about one new user account request per hour, 24 hours a day, and 365 days per year. I would like to believe that they are all people who are genuinely interested in wooden canoes but this is clearly not the case. A quick Google search for "how spammers work" will get you lots of information about how they collect addresses.

Benson

 

[Larry Meyer]

Yeah, I guess they do. Home Porno Video is now down there and don't suspect they're really interested in canoes.

 

[Blue Viking]

Thanks Benson;
will keep a constant vigilance for those things........By the way, I was up at Cold Stream Pond a couple of weeks ago to look at one of your neighbors OT canoes he had for sale..........No wonder you shook your head and walked away....LOL ( think thats the name of your Lake!....the seller said you had taken a look at it)