CHATTERBOX AND CARAVAN CHAT FORUMS HACKED...

[Derek Uzzell]

At about 06:00 this morning user "jiayou6def" joined the Out&AboutLive forums and then added 75 Chinese-language 'advert' postings to the Chatterbox thread.

User "Brendan64w" joined the forums at about 04:00 and then posted 18 Chinese-language spams to the Caravan Chat forum.

This type of spamming is similar to what happened here a few years ago and brought the O&AL forums to its knees. 

Besides having to delete these users' accounts, it will be necessary for a Moderator to delete the spam postings from Chatterbox and Caravan Chat, and I think that this can only be done one at a time.

I don't know what safeguards are in place nowadays at the forum registration stage, but it looks like the O&AL forums are vulnerable to 'automated' spamming.

[Keithl]

I have flagged these posters as Spammers which in turn immediately hides all their posts and prevents them from making any more posts. I will leave the admin to delete their accounts in due course.

I also flagged two very similar posters yesterday within minutes of them posting and before they had had any views!

Keith.

Edit to add: Another USA based forum I am a member of has been hit even harder by the exact same posters only with hundreds of posts!

[Derek Uzzell]

Thanks for taking action, Keith.

I'm pleased that it's easier to remove spam postings with the present forum than with its predecessor.

[Keithl]

And another flagged within one minute of posting!  That is what I call success!!!

[Derek Uzzell]

Spam problem continues - now three more user-names spamming on Motorhome Matters, Tent Talk and Chatterbox.