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Fake mailing list signups

November 14, 2010 3:01pm

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  • #1 / Nov 14, 2010 3:01pm

    barryparr

    125 posts

    This is kind of weird.

    I have a form on my home page that allows users to sign up for a breaking news email alerts.  It’s a standard EE mailing list form: enter your email address and click on the link in the email we send to get on this.

    For whatever reason, I’m getting two or three obviously fake sign-ups per day.  Examples:

    753     .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  (216.24.193.7)
    754     .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  (216.24.193.7)
    755     .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  (216.24.193.7)
    756     .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  (216.24.193.7)
    758     .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  (66.90.75.95)
    760     .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  (206.217.219.35)
    761     .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  (74.50.113.54)
    762     .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  (75.127.67.197)

    Now, the cost of sending email to these addresses is pretty close to zero, but (1) it makes my signup stats useless as a measure of performance, and (2) if I move the list to, say, Mailchimp these jokers will start costing me cash money. I may have to shut down the list and merge it with my regular registration list.  But I’d like to find another solution to this problem.

    Is anyone else seeing this?

    Any thoughts on fighting it?

  • #2 / Nov 15, 2010 3:14am

    John Henry Donovan

    12339 posts

    Barry,

    Obvious one is by keeping your Blacklist up-to-date.

    You can ban by IP and looking at your partial list there are a few repeats which should alleviate it.

    if I move the list to, say, Mailchimp these jokers will start costing me cash money.

    If you move it to MailChimp you would use their own sign-up form embedded?

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

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