Password re-use and forum spam

[xantia_v6]

Over the last 36 hours we have had 3 instances of undesirable spam messages being posted on this forum.

We don't usually get a huge number, and the usual MO is for a spammer to create a new account and post a spam message as their first post. We have several protection mechanisms (automated and manual) to catch such posts before they become visible to normal users.

The recent examples are different in that they have been posted using existing user accounts that have previously (over a period of years) been involved in sensible forum topics. We have no evidence of any breach of our security, the circumstancial evidence points to the spammer having obtained a database of usernames and passwords hacked from some other site.

So, to make a short story long...

• If you have the same username on several sites, please try to have a different password on at least this site.
• Please forgive any adverts for 'Verified Women' we do not endorse them, nor have we verified them.

[mickthemaverick]

Thanks for that Mike, glad to see such things are under constant monitor. Can you add anything to the discussion on the Catch All thread: viewtopic.php?p=789898#p789898. Idle curiosity I must admit but nevertheless fascinating!

[moizeau]

I've seen 2 of these posts on the 'Z1OC' (Zed 1 Owner's Club), 'apparently' posted by a long term member. I'll PM admin there if that's OK with you and let then know it's turned up here also. Can I copy and paste your post? It will only go to admin via PM.

[xantia_v6]

Yes that's fine.

[Steve Walsh]

Does that mean my Verified Woman wont arrive after I have paid 10 grand to a Nigerian bank??

[GiveMeABreak]

There is a good site that can check whether any of your emails have been involved in a known data breach. If you post any of your emails here:

';--have i been pwned?

... they will advise of any data breaches where your email has been compromised, what elements have been compromised (email, passwords, payment info etc) and which website it happened on and the date.

I suggest if you have been the subject of a data breach that you make plans to stop using that email and change both the email and passwords ASAP.

Here is an example of the info provided and it is totally free and very quick to use:

[mickthemaverick]

Thanks for that Marc, I ran a quick check on my 3 email addresses to discover two of them are unblemished but the 3rd was involved in 6 hacking incidents over the years. I have had that address since first going online with my dial up so not too surprising. However I change my email passwords on a regular basis using a random generator to help define the new ones and so far I have not suffered any issues as a result of the breaches, all of which only compromised address and passwords, happy with that!

[GiveMeABreak]

Great - it's a good tool to use and can throw up some surprising info as well as shaming certain companies into doing something about their security by exposing their poor systems.

[moizeau]

Thanks, just PM'd admin over there and thanks for the link Marc, now bookmarked.

[mickthemaverick]

Thanks for that thought Pete, I've bookmarked it too now!