Please Help Me Out - Why Do Spammers Do This?

31 replies
Hey Guys,

You can't avoid comment spam, its inevitable and I admire their persistence.

However there is one thing I just cant figure out. I get spam comments everyday that are full of links with undecipherable anchor text and urls that don't even resolve. Junk like this...

Code:
<a href="http://lfazimqhubd.com" rel="nofollow">stxhk soknecsn</a>
Why do they bother? I can understand spamming if you're trying to build backlinks or trick someone into going to your website but this technique I just cant figure out.

It seems like spamming for the sake of spamming.

Any ideas?
#spammers
  • Profile picture of the author Quang Van
    Maybe they do that to test your blog to see if they can have outgoing link to it?

    A robot could try to submit that, then rescan your page to see if it works. Idk, spammers could be pretty smart if they wasn't so annoying...
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  • Profile picture of the author Barbara Eyre
    OMG! You're reading my mind!

    My young blog just started receiving spam these last few days and I get about a dozen of these spam comments a day. Each one lists about a dozen or more non-sense urls.

    So bizarre.

    I've never clicked on one to see where the urls go ... didn't know if there was a trojan or such waiting for me on the other end.
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  • Profile picture of the author warriorprocessing
    often wondered this myself
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  • Profile picture of the author Kwaku
    Yep wondering this as well; one of my more popular sites gets about 1000 of these non-sense links per day...

    No idea why anyone would do that.
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    • Profile picture of the author TheRichJerksNet
      In my package WordPress Secured you will find a script BadBot-Killer 2.0.. Which does block bots and is pre-set to block 35 of them currently.. You can add more or edit the current ones in the database.

      All version 1 customers will be getting a huge discount when I release version 2 which will also include BadBiot-Killer 3.0 which goes way beyond blocking only bots, it will also block entire countries and ip's..

      James
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      • Profile picture of the author Dixiebelle
        These types of spammers are just like most criminals - they are usually pretty smart.

        If they would just take that intelligence and put it to good use on the internet, they could probably rake in a fortune, and build a very reputable reputation for themselves.

        Why don't they do this instead?

        Dixie
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        • Profile picture of the author TheRichJerksNet
          Originally Posted by Dixiebelle View Post

          These types of spammers are just like most criminals - they are usually pretty smart.

          If they would just take that intelligence and put it to good use on the internet, they could probably rake in a fortune, and build a very reputable reputation for themselves.

          Why don't they do this instead?

          Dixie
          Because for most it is a great deal easier to be evil then it is to be good....

          They use the bots to make you think they are wanting to spam you site which in reality they are actually scanning your server to find a way in...

          This is why I included a BadBot-Killer script in my WordPress Secured product...

          James
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  • Profile picture of the author mookinman
    I had one of these spam comments today - funny coincedence how it's being discussed in here today... at least they don't seem to be harmful, just a little time-consuming (especially if you're getting a lot of them)
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  • Profile picture of the author JayXtreme
    I bet if we posted the IP address we would pretty much all get the same IP for those typs of blog comments spams..

    we discussed it in WA a few days ago and a few of us had them same IP address leaving the spam..

    Peace

    Jay
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  • Profile picture of the author EJ Lear
    Mike,

    Use a captcha plugin and your troubles will go away, guaranteed. There are a few captcha busting programs out there but some of the free captcha plugins are really good.

    Good luck Mike!

    Respectfully,
    EJ
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    • Originally Posted by EJ Lear View Post

      Mike,

      Use a captcha plugin and your troubles will go away, guaranteed. There are a few captcha busting programs out there but some of the free captcha plugins are really good.

      Good luck Mike!

      Respectfully,
      EJ
      A lot of these guys, post it one blog at a time.....they are NOT using Blog Blasters anymore.
      Because of the Captcha. Yet is still worth the effort to them.
      And they install hidden codes into your websites and then use your website to draw huge crowds to their own websites. And redirect your people to thier own sales.Imagine if they did this to 10,000 websites?.......how much money they make. And they can't get in trouble because you have a blog posting area asking people to post.....geeeee they can post anything right? most blogs take html codes. The hosts that don't allow the codes, kick back part or all the code and then you see it.It becomes an inactive link.
      A pro will sign up for a blog first, check out how the blog company operates and do some link posting with codes, to see if they become live links. If they do, then they spam the index of that company's customers and do it 1 link at a time......the more links they get, the bigger thier business becomes. Also affilates do this and get rich all the time, I know they are not suppose to spam, but think about setting in these codes, and suddenly after 6 months opening the codes up to a selling affilate web site for 1 week only, running off 100,000 links that were set in. You could make a million dollars that week.

      I have known about this for years. It's nothing new.

      This is a trick many have tried to use and draw millions of people into ebay auctions.......it also can put people on top of the Ebay Pulse Watcher Lists.
      But sadly most people don't understand how to use the codes.
      You just have to know the codes, and only a handful of people besides myself,even know how these codes work and now they are created.....and how to use them right to market and make money.
      If you're seeing these codes.......it was an amature Job.
      If a Pro does this, you'll never know the code is on your site.
      I know, you think you can veiw the source code on html code reading area, but think again, most people don't even know what they are looking for.
      But if you can find it delete it. And ban the I.P. address of the sender, but a guy who can post codes can also rotate I.P. address's very fast and be back on in a few minutes.

      Sure I have the codes, but please don't ask me for them, The Internet is safer without everyone and his mother running loose using these codes. These codes can turn the average man or woman into a millionaire if they have a good internet money making skills.
      But if I don't share the codes, then the playing field is level and fair to all.
      Just so you know, I don't post codes on peoples websites. I just happened to develop one of the codes years ago into a super code.
      Again please don't ask me about the codes, I won't say more than I have today......this was FYI.....for your information only.

      Also there always could be another reason why you see these codes........but I'm 90% sure this is the answer.
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      • Profile picture of the author Barbara Eyre
        UGH, these folks are doing this over a dozen times a day now ... whereas it was only a dozen a week or so.

        I promptly delete them.

        I have WordPress version 2.6
        I heard the 2.6.3 was not stable security wise ... should I still upgrade?
        Will it make a difference?
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        • Profile picture of the author TheRichJerksNet
          Originally Posted by Barbara Eyre View Post

          UGH, these folks are doing this over a dozen times a day now ... whereas it was only a dozen a week or so.

          I promptly delete them.

          I have WordPress version 2.6
          I heard the 2.6.3 was not stable security wise ... should I still upgrade?
          Will it make a difference?
          Barbara,
          No version of wordpress is stable.. Unless.... You have ofcourse done security on it ..

          Working on v2 of wordpress secured right now which is based of 2.6.3 and will be the most secure wordpress you have ever seen and will include auto installation for security. v1 Customers will be offered a huge discount when I release it.. v1 is still in my sig for a limited time..

          James
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  • Profile picture of the author Clyde Dennis
    The theory put forth on testing is exactly what I always figured was going on as well.
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  • Profile picture of the author cballi
    I have seen the same thing and was confused by the rel tag. Very weird!
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  • Profile picture of the author Bob Monie
    Since Askimet plugin comes defult these days, im guessing you have it installed. Obviously these spam comments get past Askimet and they still get backlinks from all the automated blogs out there that dont stop spam comments.

    If only wordpress made captcha plugin defult.
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    • Profile picture of the author mscopeland
      These Spammers are fishing. They find blogs and try various exploits to gain access. I'd imagine the comments are the only thing you see. However they also look for the ability to create pages and blog posts too.

      Here's some things I'd recommend you do.

      1. Approve all comments or at least make the poster already have an approved comment before it will be automatically accepted.

      2. Set up Askimet - Stop complaining and do it. It takes 5 min

      3. a. Get Captcha WordPress › WP-reCAPTCHA WordPress Plugins
      AND/OR
      b. Ask a math question: WordPress › Math Comment Spam Protection WordPress Plugins

      However, believe it or not, I have had people not be able to answer the math question, so be prepared for that... lol (I'm not kidding either)
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  • Profile picture of the author Melody
    According to my host - it's more often looking for vulnerabilities to exploit than spamming - I have also gotten this coming in through contact forms which would not generate any back links, so I am more inclined to think it's for hacking than spamming!

    Capchas will help with the spam issues but you really need to make sure everything is buttoned down as tightly as possible -
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  • Hackers may use invisible codes to install more than cookies on your computer, but some times they mess them up. YOu see codes may work on one website by a certain Host, but not by a different host company......due to a different web set up by a different Host....Many times the code is usally combined with a Flashplayer attached, but if even 1 little part of the code is off, then some times parts of the hidden code get caught with parts of codes showning on your blog or website or emails,this is an amature trying to using a code most likely that he found someone else using, and thought he'd be mr slick also.
    only trouble is he doesn't really understand how it works.

    One more cheap con trick to selling - Also the human mind ...Just has to know a secret, what is hidden behind door # 1 or Door number # 2.....in other words human instinct gets the best of you .....so you can't help yourself and you go check out that website, and who it is linked to.
    Just think.....These guys know you sell online and they think.... if your in business with a website, then you must know how to create links and read them....and they know you'll follow through and check it out....so they only send those to other business's...for people who know how to create links and read html code....and when you become courious they know you'll follow through. It's a cheap con trick.
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    Rock,Blues Guitarist GW Williams - Free Internet Guitar information on new guitars,top brand strings,Guitar Lessons,tab,chords,lead guitar,hot licks,lead scales,guitar tips,and techniques all Free

    Online Christian Blog Living For God Online
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  • Profile picture of the author Chris Lockwood
    I never tried Akismet, but I'm using another free plugin called Spam Karma, which does a really good job.
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    • Profile picture of the author mscopeland
      Spam Karma is pretty good.

      I remember using Askimet and Spam Karma on one of my installations.

      Yes, Upgrade!

      You should require that comments must be approved. Then you can mass delete them if they're not approved.

      If you add some of the things we have suggested, then it will cut down on spammers by 95%.

      Hackers will ALWAYS look for a crack in the concrete to grow a tree in. Don't let them do it!

      Protect yourself and your data. Take an hour out of your day to thwart these attacks.
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  • Profile picture of the author Chris Lockwood
    Actually, on my blogs that use Spam Karma, I don't moderate comments, and no problems so far. I spend about zero time on that, too.

    I think when comments have to be approved, that discourages a lot of honest people from making them, since they don't know if or when their comment will appear.
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  • Profile picture of the author TheRichJerksNet
    Simple Answer: They do it to test their bots and to see what hits they are getting vs misses. Then they will compose a list of sites that they can get the comments on through.

    Once done then they will create a all out spam war on those blogs that got hits and at the same time they will more then likely sell the list also ..

    James
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  • Profile picture of the author Jonathan Stapp
    It seems like Spyware. Have you tried something like RegCure to get rid of all the scripts?
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    • Profile picture of the author Barbara Eyre
      I do have to approve all comments - have from the beginning.

      I will install Spam Karma tonight (got the housewife cook's hat on right now).

      I will upgrade from 2.6 to 2.6.3 here in a day or so also.

      So far, just the spam comments ... no scripts/codes added to my site or blog. *fingers and toes crossed*

      Sorry to have hijacked this thread, but thank you for everyone's responses.
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  • Profile picture of the author anomaly
    what i really don't get is wordpress comments are nofollow by default (so i'm told) ... so why do they even bother trying ... because the huge majority of comments they post will be nofollow ... argh, so annoying!!
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  • Profile picture of the author RHPatel
    Probably like to pester people. After all they are spammers.
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    • Profile picture of the author d3m0nb0y
      I think they write the bots and run it for the fun of it, in your case. However, I have received lots of unknown and weird links to websites that sound suspicious.
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