Die, Spam bots! Die!!!!

[ht_murray]

I woke up from a very long nap, opened up my email, and had seven, count 'em seven, friend notifications. I suspected from the names that they were spam bots. So, I clicked on the first one, took a good hard look at the profile, particularly the friends, found I had two shared friends. Then, looked in the journal, all of it in Russian or something, and promptly, reported the bot.

Went to the next one. Similar looking userpic, same exact two shared friends as well as entire f-list.

By the fourth one, there was a long sob story on the profile page about how she was a student in Maine, had chronic health issues, including a brain tumor... and yet entire journal in Russian, same matching friends, same unmatching friends.

By the time I worked my way through all seven, there was an eighth in my inbox.

I reported them all. But really, what are they accomplishing? Someone explain to me? Are they just waiting for me to click on their profile and recording that as a hit to their website somewhere? Because it is annoying.

I'm never leaving LJ, but I still do have one Dreamwidth code if anyone else wants it.

Also, prepare for a day of Spam, cuz I done slept through yesterday and have to make up for it. LOL.

ETA: We're up to 9!

Comments

[raloria.livejournal.com]

Ugh! Evil spam bots! EVIL!!!!! *sends Sam & Dean to shoot them full of silver bullets*

Hopefully reporting them will work & they won't be back.

Also, prepare for a day of Spam, cuz I done slept through yesterday and have to make up for it. LOL.

Hee! Bring it on! I love reading your posts even though I know I don't comment all that much.

[tru-faith-lost.livejournal.com]

I'm used to getting one or two a week, but eight in one night is just... Ugh!

And I've been reporting every one I get since they added that option. I'm beginning to wonder if reporting them really works or if it just ticks them off. LOL.

Heheh, I definitely have stuff I want to post, but I'm having a good deal of angst over bigbang right this second so that is first on the agenda. I guess since the reveals and everything there's really no secrets about them, so I can post a poll. I really have some misgivings. :S

[cuddlyscorpio.livejournal.com]

I've never had spambots corner me, so I suppose you should feel lucky to be targeted (LOL)
Can I please have the Dreamwidth code? Pretty please?!

[tru-faith-lost.livejournal.com]

I PM'ed you. Enjoy! *squish*

[cuddlyscorpio.livejournal.com]

I'm an idiot. I just deleted your message...please send again!?
Thank you!

[chocca2.livejournal.com]

You know what's really sad? I actually saw some friend notifications and got all excited and then went to see and saw it was just spam. *puts on loser hat* lol

[tru-faith-lost.livejournal.com]

Yeah, unless I've just posted fic or meta, I pretty much expect them all to be spam anymore. :P

So, I'm still angsting over this backstory for our bigbang. I'm considering posting a poll or something, try to get a feel for what readers will think. Would it bother you if I did that? I don't think it'll be giving much away, since it's the backstory I'm angsting over and not the story itself...

[chocca2.livejournal.com]

Would it bother you if I did that?

Not at all, babe. Go for it!
Btw, I'm quite up for the last idea you mailed me. I like it when you mail me, it gives me butterflies, hee! lol

[tru-faith-lost.livejournal.com]

LOL, now I have bounced so many emails off you, I can't remember which idea was the last one I mailed you. Refresh my memory?

[chocca2.livejournal.com]

Hehe, its the Sam vessel idea. Switches the boys around for the back story, that make sense?

[not-refined.livejournal.com]

Obviously, you are irresistible to everyone, even bots.

[tru-faith-lost.livejournal.com]

Hehe, it's my shiny brain. They think it's a computer. I'm not entirely sure it isn't. If only I could debug the sucker... :P

[layne67.livejournal.com]

No one new is friending me, bot or otherwise ::sad-face::

[tru-faith-lost.livejournal.com]

Aww, I'll create a new journal and friend you. Twice as much love from me! *glomp*

[layne67.livejournal.com]

Naaaawwwwwwww .... ♥♥♥

[not-refined.livejournal.com]

I would friend you a hundred times, sweetheart! *GLOMPS*

[layne67.livejournal.com]

****GLEEEEEE****

♥

[mini-moue.livejournal.com]

I got 8 as well this morning, and since we're on the same flist... Suspicious! I reported them all as well. We'll see if LJ do anything. Why doesn't LJ have a "block user" option, cos the "ban user" thing is less than useless - it doesn't stop them from seeing your journal, or give them an electric shock when they try to view it, or anything useful. Grrrrr.

[tru-faith-lost.livejournal.com]

Yup, you were one of the two common friends on the flist. I mean, I know that's how they connect is from flist to flist, but why the same friends from the same flist eight times in one night? I do not get it.

And yeah, what's the point of ban user. Especially if the person can just log out or log in as someone else if they really want to make trouble for you. *sigh*

[pixel-0.livejournal.com]

I was excited this morning too to see that I had mail in my inbox...only to find out that they were mostly friend notifications...from what I presume are spam bots. BOO.

Haha, I just get so excited to see that I have friend notifications, then I have to pause and think, "Wait...I haven't updated with anything exciting recently so why are people friending me?" xP

[tru-faith-lost.livejournal.com]

I know, right? I mean, sometimes I find something has been recced, and that's where the friending comes from, but usually they're just bots. I feel a little weird reporting them all, because I do know a few actual fans who post primarily in Russian, so I sometimes wonder if they're just lurkers, but if they have no SPN interests or only one or two friends names that I recognize and no comms... I just assume they're bots and report 'em. If they're not bots, they can PM me and ask to be added.

P.S. Are you still up for betaing bigbang? I know it's been a while and you might have forgotten, so no pressure. We don't even have anything to send yet, LOL.

[pixel-0.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I wonder if they're lurkers too because I do have quite a few Russian lurkers that have had me friended for a long, long time, which leads me to believe that they aren't bots as they update regularly, etc. But, yeah, lately, I'm going with the bot theory especially if they have matching journal entries, flists, etc. Oy.

P.S. You bet. :) And nope, I haven't forgotten. I've had you guys on the back on my mind as a "maybe beta" as I wasn't sure whether you'd need/want it or not. But, yup, I'm still up for it. :)

[tru-faith-lost.livejournal.com]

Yay! If I get the backstory worked out, maybe we'll have a part one to you within a week... maybe. I'm slow abut sending them, because last year, I'd send a part, then spend the next day sending out frantic emails to my betas telling them to never mind, because I changed everything... AGAIN. LOL.

[tygrrlyli.livejournal.com]

I'm not the only one then.

I've been reporting them religiously since they started friending me about a week ago. But not too much has come from the reporting so I emailed the abuse team today.

Particularly since I had 6 friend me in an 8-hour time period, and 17 friend me since last week.
I put this squarely under the heading of harassment at this point. So, hopefully me email to the team will have results.

[tygrrlyli.livejournal.com]

Oh, and we happen to be friends on LJ. So if I brought this plague upon you: Sorry.

[tru-faith-lost.livejournal.com]

Nah, I don't think it's your fault. I've been getting them for quite a while, just never this many in one pop before. I take a little solace in knowing this was probably the same person all 9 times, but it really is ridiculous. I hope LJ Abuse can do something, though my feeling is there's not much they can do besides limit the number of journals that you can create with the same email adress, and even that would only be slightly effective, since you can get as many emails as you want if you want to try to keep track of them all. :S

I just wish I knew what the heck they are getting by spamming us...

[jane-eyre.livejournal.com]

I had two friend my other journal last week. Thank goodness those are the only ones I've had to deal with so far. Thanks for reminding me that I need to take care of them.

[tru-faith-lost.livejournal.com]

Yes! Report those buggers. I really don't know if that does any good, but it can't hurt right... unless it pisses 'em off and they redouble their efforts. LOL. But then, it doesn't take much effort to right-click on their userpic and click report bot, so let 'em redouble, I guess.

[angels3.livejournal.com]

I hear folks have had a lot of problems with that today. I haven't seen any requests on mine yet.

[tru-faith-lost.livejournal.com]

I know. I've seen a few other posts about the same thing. It's creepy. :P

Erm, if you had your preference, which fic would you like me to snippet before I die tonight?

[angels3.livejournal.com]

Whichever one you want to do. I'm happy with whatever you give me. :)

[tru-faith-lost.livejournal.com]

LOL, I may have to do both, then, cuz I can't decide. Of course, it'll probably be 3 a.m. before either one makes an appearance. :P

[fufaraw]

Now I feel sorta unloved. Overlooked. I gots no spambots.

I need target practice.

[tru-faith-lost.livejournal.com]

LOL, I'll send you mine. Hahaha. I swear, I probably get them because I friend back like... everyone... I should probably be more selective. *ponders*

[fufaraw]

Should I friend (or encircle, whattheheckever) you on DW, just for completion's sake?

I've basically tricked my DW account out as a backup, but I'm only selectively crossposting (not auto), and LJ's still my home.

[tru-faith-lost.livejournal.com]

You may, I'll certainly add you back, but it's pretty boring over there since I have like, one post posted. LOL. I'm ht_murray over there.

[munibunny.livejournal.com]

Wow. You're, like, the 10th person on my flist to post about Russian!bots. Weird.