A new approach to spamming the Dope

[Mama_Zappa]

Get established users to do it FOR you.

I just got the following email:

My name is Daniel and I have a business proposition for you. I found your account on the straight dope forum and it has an outstanding reputation with over ten thousand posts. I would like to know if your interested in helping me promote my business through your forum, in a way where everything will look organic. Your only job will be to post once for me, with a link to my business page. I will be able to prepare the text for you along with explaining any other necessary questions you might have. For me and my business this is very important, but for you this will only take up a few minutes of your time. Let me know if you are interested. Thank you!

The email supposedly comes from an outlook.com address (I can’t see any indication that this faked, per gmail, but I could be wrong).

Needless to say, I’ve now blocked my email from everyone but registered members.

Mods: I assume this would be grounds for banning the person in question if he/she/it has even registered?

[Chefguy]

“Daniel” doesn’t realize that nobody on the Dope will help someone who can’t properly distinguish between your and you’re.

[LSLGuy]

My public profile page doesn’t show the email associated with my SDMB account. And I’ve got my “profile privacy” page set to “everyone” for all 4 choices.

I suspect “Daniel” connected your dots some other way.

[engineer_comp_geek]

@Mama_Zappa

Mods: I assume this would be grounds for banning the person in question if he/she/it has even registered?

Yep.

(btw, check your PMs)

[Suburban_Plankton]

I received the same email, except that in my case “with over ten thousand posts” has been (correctly) replaced with “with thousands of posts”. So, the spammer gets points for correctly parsing post counts, but minus points for an incorrect usage of “your” in the third sentence.

[Czarcasm]

Whenever possible, take the payoff first, then report the spammer-by-proxy.

[DrDeth]

Now I feel left out…

[Jonathan_Chance]

@engineer_comp_geek

Yep.

(btw, check your PMs)

Backing this up. This is extremely contraindicated in terms of continued posting privileges.

[Corner_Case]

… Oh and I can see Daniel waving goodbye
God it looks like Daniel, must be the spam in my eyes …

Maybe we should just peremptorily ban anyone that seems like they could be a “Daniel”? Nothing like a good kneejerk reaction to get the blood flowing …

[Czarcasm]

@Corner_Case

Maybe we should just peremptorily ban anyone that seems like they could be a “Daniel”? Nothing like a good kneejerk reaction to get the blood flowing …

What do you think is “kneejerk” about this situation?

[Charlie_Tan]

@DrDeth

Now I feel left out…

Then Iron Man pooped in his armor and they all laughed and went home.

[CannyDan]

@Corner_Case

*… Oh and I can see Daniel waving goodbye

God it looks like Daniel, must be the spam in my eyes …*

Maybe we should just peremptorily ban anyone that seems like they could be a “Daniel”? Nothing like a good kneejerk reaction to get the blood flowing …

Let’s not be too hasty here!

[Morgenstern]

Daniel, we need your SSN and a credit card number to continue.

[samclem]

@Mama_Zappa

Get established users to do it FOR you.

The email supposedly comes from an outlook.com address (I can’t see any indication that this faked, per gmail, but I could be wrong).

I’d estimate that perhaps 1/3 of all banned spammers here use outlook.com

We’ve even had discussions about banning that email address.

[jimbuff314]

@Charlie_Tan

Then Iron Man pooped in his armor and they all laughed and went home.

Now where have I heard that before?

I’m sitting pretty - not only is my username derived from my name (and it ain’t Daniel) but I also only have a measly thousand posts and change.

[Count_Blucher]

@Corner_Case

… Oh and I can see Daniel waving goodbye
God it looks like Daniel, must be the spam in my eyes …

Maybe we should just peremptorily ban anyone that seems like they could be a “Daniel”? Nothing like a good kneejerk reaction to get the blood flowing …

Darn it! I wanted to post:

*Daniel is posting tonight from a plane
I can see the red tail lights (Oh God this F-ckers a Pain)
Oh, and I read Daniel posting goodbye
God it reads like Daniel, damn Walls of Text in my eyes…

Daniel, why bother? Why not… post your own screed!
Push your own Gravy Train (…just not on banana peel…)
Your lies have Died; You seem so Tongue-Tied.
Daniel, you’re a Star!! (Helped me buy a caaaaaaaarrrrrrr…)
“…Thoughts…?” :p*

[Mama_Zappa]

Oooh, I’ve been pwned!:

@my reply

The Straight Dope Message Board takes a strict stance on spamming. You are evidently attempting to get around that rule by getting established board members to do your dirty work for you.

If you were a legitimate business, you would not need to resort to such tactics.

I have reported you to the board moderators. I expect that if you have already registered as a member you will be banned, and will be blocked from future attempts to enroll. I am also reporting this email to gmail as spam.

@SpammyDan

You obviously have no sense when it comes to business, therefore it is not spamming as much as it is advertising. Instead of commercials, we are willing to advertise through the internet. Your are simply not interested and therefore a simple no or no response would have sufficed. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to write such a lengthy response and we appreciate your time, since you have so much of it. We are a little business trying to get started, Thanks again!

[kayT]

Now aren’t you ashamed, Mama Zappa? Poor boy just trying to get started with his little business.

[Skywatcher]

@SpammyDan

it is not spamming as much as it is advertising. Instead of commercials, we are willing to advertise through the internet.

And get dismissed as spam. :smack:

[Morgenstern]

@kayT

Now aren’t you ashamed, Mama Zappa? Poor boy just trying to get started with his little business.

Yeah, and now we’ll never have a source for cheap White Rhino horns. :mad: