Has this happened to everyone...

[DK Custom Products]

or is it just me that got a pop up screen that said "the administrator has disabled private messaging"?

Kevin

 

[BillR]

I don't remember getting any message about it, but the PM option is gone from the members I know I've sent PMs to before, including yours.

I can't even access my own inbox. That option has disappeared, too.

 

[frostbite51]

Not here.

You must have been naughty - you're getting a timeout...

 

[BillR]

Not here.

You must have been naughty - you're getting a timeout...

See if you can send us a PM.

 

[Papa Zook]

We are getting a ton of spammers using both message board posts and PM posts to post viral links, so yes we had to disable the entire system for everyone, even the admin/mods for the time being until we can get a handle on the influx of russian spammers/hackers.

Also, is anyone else getting weird, black dot matrix patterns jumping around in the message composition box when composing a post?

 

[trike lady]

I haven't sent a PM to anyone, but I have noticed a lot of spammers lately, I can tell by their screen names.

No dots floating around on this screen as I type this.

 

[Papa Zook]

I haven't sent a PM to anyone, but I have noticed a lot of spammers lately, I can tell by their screen names.

No dots floating around on this screen as I type this.

I have had to add several more members to the Spam Decimators squad including you Trike Lady. Have you noticed the red skull and crossbones button under new members posts lately? That is normally a Moderator only feature, but we cant keep up.

 

[rhino 2]

Also, is anyone else getting weird, black dot matrix patterns jumping around in the message composition box when composing a post?

No matrix when i post :Shrug:....Just floaters,

But my Optometrist says thats normal for a man my age...

 

[trike lady]

Yes, I have and I used it on a couple of individuals who have posted nonsense.

 

[Papa Zook]

No matrix when i post :Shrug:....Just floaters,

But my Optometrist says thats normal for a man my age...

Yes, I have and I used it on a couple of individuals who have posted nonsense.

You and rhino 2 are two who were deputized to use this moderator feature because you two are on here a lot. Thanks for helping.

 

[rhino 2]

You and rhino 2 are two who were deputized to use this moderator feature because you two are on here a lot. Thanks for helping.

No Thanks Necessary, Zook I'm always happy to help out...ThumbUp

 

[Papa Zook]

No Thanks Necessary, Zook I'm always happy to help out...ThumbUp

Thanks Bob. Sorry I didn't send y'all a note explaining what the button was, but I figured you'd figure it out since its labeled. A couple of weeks ago I added it to a half dozen or so of the most active members to help ban these guys. They seem to come in waves from time to time and right now it is heavy.

 

[trike lady]

My pleasure to help out.

 

[1dn5up]

Thanks Bob. Sorry I didn't send y'all a note explaining what the button was, but I figured you'd figure it out since its labeled. A couple of weeks ago I added it to a half dozen or so of the most active members to help ban these guys. They seem to come in waves from time to time and right now it is heavy.

Your trusting Bob with a computer tecnacality ! :techie:

 

[rhino 2]

Your trusting Bob with a computer tecnacality ! :techie:

Yea..... I haven't had this much authority using an electronic gismo since my Wife asked me to change the TV channel, Something about Married With Children that ticks her off... :Shrug:

 

[David357]

No Thanks Necessary, Zook I'm always happy to help out...ThumbUp

My pleasure to help out.

Thank you both and to all others helping to decimate the spammers.:diespam:

:goodjob:

 

[Jack Klarich]

I have not noticed any problems until today I see the E mail disabled

We had raids on another Forum

Hard to detect unless some one is monitoring

Good job by all Trike Lady and rhino can handle it IMO

 

[Zammy]

Papa, why don't you block a range of IP addresses at the server level, not much chance of a Chinese or Russian trike talker. Not sure what software your server is running but set the code within the "htaccss" file to block the IP ranges.

 

[trike lady]

There is Spam-o-matic, StopForumSpam. May not be catching the new emails they're using, most use a disposable email. Sometimes you have to do a manual scan of members that are suspicious looking. It can be time consuming.

This is one of the emails being used: nowastrona2018.neteasy.pl, you may also find yopmail, protonmail, or mailinator.com.

 

[Papa Zook]

We have used Spam-O-Matic for many years and it helps, but it is outdated technology, and we do ban certain ip ranges, but there are many ways to get around that. Hackers use proxy servers, VPNs and TOR to hide their real ip address. There is just no way to keep them out, at least not with our level of security software and we have pretty good stuff.

Sites like ours are unique and make for a prime target because our membership consists of senior citizens perceived to have high accumulated wealth, who are known to use outdated technology, older vunerable browser and antivirus versions and simple, easy to remember passwords (that they often forget). Two thirds of senior citizens have been the victim of an online scam. http://chestertownspy.org/2017/03/0...o-thirds-of-seniors-have-been-scammed-online/ Do NOT click on any link that looks suspicious, whether in a post on the forum or a post via PM. Report any message that looks suspicious. The last thing I want is for anyone to get hacked.

Please bear with me, I will come up with a best option for getting this resolved, but for now I had to bandaid it. I am committed to the security of our members and will do whatever it takes to protect them. At the moment I have a lot on my plate so this is a temporary measure. I'm dealing with a family member crisis in Alabama that has needed me there and I am slammed at work with multiple trike builds. Trike kits and parts I have needed to complete a couple of the builds were shipped but not able to get into Houston due to the terminals flooding and were returned to the factories and are just now arriving back, so this has put be behind on a couple of my builds and my customers are understandably not happy right now. I am praying for Grace and understanding for what is beyond my control, but some people do not want to hear it.