Spambots using my email address, or just notifications?

[Alfador]

So far I've gotten several dozen nearly identical email messages over the past several days, all seemingly automated messages from here about a user account "deactivated or newly created," all with weird random names that scream "spambot" to me.

Am I being notified because of my deputy status, or are spambots using my email to try to create new accounts, and failing because there's already an account registered to that address?

[Monocheres]

I've been getting them too. They're all from thilia@atoys, all titled "Activate new account" and they contain links to actual new member profiles, saying that the account is either "deactivated or newly created". Most appear dubious and many are obvious dormant spambots. Not sure what to do with them all, I don't really have time to examine all these new members and decide whether they deserve a pre-emptive goomph.

[Thilia]

I have changed the activation process for new board members. Now, new members have to be activated by a moderator. This is because of the recent improvements in the spambots' ability to outsmart our existing process.

Apparently the change also dragged all of the moderators into the mailing, rather than just sending them to me.

My apologies, I wasn't aware that the system would send notes to every moderator. But one thing's sure, at least now, our moderators have a good idea of how many attempts these scumbags make on our forum every day.

I think Stephen has fixed the problem for now. Or at least, I hope so.

Fact is, we only get a couple of real human new users a month. The twenty or so fakes that sign up are a real problem. Most of them come from Russia, and almost all of them use addresses at gmail. While I'd like to drive an ice pick into the eyes of every single one of these perps, all I can really do is ban their IP address and refuse them access to our little playground.


Thilia - Playground Cop

[Tychomonger]

Still getting notifications.

[Wizard CaT]

I think I noticed a new spambot. Can you guess who?