Hammered by Spam!

[ericphelps]

This question should guarantee an award for the least understanding of how interwebs work, but here goes. Yes this site is littered daily with spam, as we all are to a certain extent. But lately on my personal gmail, I've been getting up to 15 or more email spams daily. They're not exotic, insurance, car loans, bank cards etc. Generic stuff with no pattern really.

I haven't done any 'financials' in some time, all's paid for here, few online purchases and only from the biggies. Here's the question; any chance being registered here with so few controls or filters, has opened the crapgates to my personal account?   

[samstevens]

Unless you click on spam links or call and give out information, and assuming PN hasn’t been hacked and its member info compromised, the spam on PN likely has nothing to do with the spam you’re getting via email.

[There are still reminders that even in the year 2023, coincidences still occur!]
😊

Edited February 22, 2023 by samstevens

[John Seaman]

I was getting a lot of spam emails in my Yahoo account, nothing to do with photo.net. I found a menu item to "block senders" and after applying this a few times the spam is drastically reduced. I'd be surprised if there wasn't a similar facility in gmail.

[Niels - NHSN]

As Sam says, Pnet is being spammed but is not hacked (to my knowledge).

Using the "Report Spam" in Gmail will normally eliminate it quickly.

Do a search of your email address in Google to see if your email shows up in clear text on the web. If so, you may want to reach out to the site to have it removed.

You can also easily check if your email has been included in a known security breach through this site:

https://haveibeenpwned.com

 

Edited February 22, 2023 by Niels - NHSN

[ericphelps]

6 hours ago, John Seaman said:

I was getting a lot of spam emails in my Yahoo account, nothing to do with photo.net. I found a menu item to "block senders" and after applying this a few times the spam is drastically reduced. I'd be surprised if there wasn't a similar facility in gmail.

Thanks John, Gmail does have a good ability to filter spam so that it goes directly to the spam folder for deletion, and there are 'some' additional controls available, but they use so many email variations one can stop a drop but not the tsunami. I just can't figure the recent explosion in my account.

[ericphelps]

6 hours ago, Niels - NHSN said:

As Sam says, Pnet is being spammed but is not hacked (to my knowledge).

Using the "Report Spam" in Gmail will normally eliminate it quickly.

Do a search of your email address in Google to see if your email shows up in clear text on the web. If so, you may want to reach out to the site to have it removed.

You can also easily check if your email has been included in a known security breach through this site:

https://haveibeenpwned.com

 

Well, my email seems clear then...Yes, Gmail does a good job of id'ing and isolating spam, but just can't understand the reason for the rocketing amount I'm getting. I think I'm 'careful' but not certain even that makes a difference. Thanks Niels!

[Guest]

I signed up for photo.net in 2018 with a custom email address, and the only emails in that mailbox until now were the account confirmation messages.

I started getting spam to that address today - so yes, it very much looks like photo.net have either been hacked or they've sold their database.

[Sandy Vongries]

Just FYI, Moderating, even opening  some of this stuff in order to be fair before banning, I have had no increase in spam. The net has always been an odd place.  I recall early on being able to put my son in conversation with a world renowned expert on lizards for a grade school project.  A world that no longer exists.  Now just like any city street, risks and benefits. 

[samstevens]

And, as I said before, please let’s not forget that coincidence still exists and is actually one of the more fun parts of life. Speculation with no actual causal evidence, on the other hand, may be popular but it’s usually wrong and often damaging. 

Edited February 25, 2023 by samstevens

[William Michael]

17 minutes ago, Anonymous User said:

so yes, it very much looks like photo.net have either been hacked or they've sold their database.

Non sequitur.

Unfortunate, possibly annoying for you, but nonetheless, non sequitur.

WW

 

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, William Michael said:

Non sequitur.

 

How so? Just to be very clear, I created a distinct email address for signing up to photo.net (as I do with most sites), and have not used that address anywhere else, ever.

I've only been lurking here, and have never posted on the forums or uploaded any pictures. Even if I had, I don't believe member emails are publicly visible anywhere?

Thus, the only explanation I see for me getting messages on that address is that it leaked from photo.net. Happy to be proven wrong here, though.

[samstevens]

16 minutes ago, Anonymous User said:

Happy to be proven wrong here, though.

I’d suggest that, when making a claim, the onus is on the one making it to prove it. You have not.

Since you asked, however, I have started quite a few new email accounts and, within seconds, before I even have a chance to browse, I’ve had junk mail. Junk mail finds you. You needn’t do anything to be found. That said, certainly a lighter footprint will generate less spam, but it won’t ever completely stop it.

As your story is merely anecdotal, the fact that I’m on PN daily and have no increase in spam is also anecdotal and as lacking in evidence, but simply provides a counterweight for you to think about. 

Edited February 25, 2023 by samstevens

[William Michael]

2 minutes ago, Anonymous User said:

How so? (is it non sequitur)

Because the conclusion stated is not evidence based sufficient to dismiss other feasible conclusions. That response answers your question.

However, it is understood that it is very likely that is not really the question(s) you want answered - in this regard, please note the following points:

> Before I responded, I researched, interrogating into the bowels of PN

> I too have (many) discrete email addresses, typically each is used only once and often for a "sign up" purpose: this has been my practice for many years

> I note that, from time to time, spam mail has entered some of those email address which I have created    

***

My conclusion is based on the evidence I have recently gathered, and also my personal experiences.

My comment "non sequitur" was carefully researched and posted to quell fears, nothing more and nothing less.

WW

 

 

   

[Guest]

1 minute ago, samstevens said:

I’d suggest that, when making a claim, the onus is on the one making it to prove it. You have not.

Happy to provide more info to photo.net admins if desired. If so, please get in touch via dm or email.  I would have contacted you privately about this first if you provided contact information in your privacy policy.

And yes, I agree it is indeed also possible that spammers randomly generated my photo.net signup address. Based on my own personal experience, this has never happened to me before, and seems an unlikely explanation compared to the other ones. But it is possible.

Still, I should have worded my initial message more carefully. To be as clear as possible to anyone reading this, the only thing I'm claiming as fact is that I have received spam on an address I used only for photo.net. The rest is speculation.

[Sandy Vongries]

Folks should respond to their instincts.  I don't go to neighborhoods or involve myself in activities which make me feel unsafe.  I don't believe there are issues here, but apparently no acceptable proofs are available.  Suggest people follow their instincts as I do mine.

[William Michael]

1 minute ago, Anonymous User said:

To be as clear as possible to anyone reading this, the only thing I'm claiming as fact is that I have received spam on an address I used only for photo.net.

That was understood by me from the get go, and, that was the main reason why I interrogated this subject extensively; as a result of that interrogation I posted my conclusion.

WW 

[William Michael]

Like Sandy I also believe that there are no issues here,

and -

3 minutes ago, Sandy Vongries said:

Folks should respond to their instincts. 

Indeed. I also agree.

I am hungry - it's lunchtime here. I think that we have an adult and most amicable outcome, which is appreciated.

WW 

[ericphelps]

15 hours ago, Sandy Vongries said:

Just FYI, Moderating, even opening  some of this stuff in order to be fair before banning, I have had no increase in spam. The net has always been an odd place.  I recall early on being able to put my son in conversation with a world renowned expert on lizards for a grade school project.  A world that no longer exists.  Now just like any city street, risks and benefits. 

Very true, though it's now rare to hear a defense of the internet. It must be difficult for younger users to understand that it was once a fascinating pleasure.

[The Ghost Of Phils Society]

17 hours ago, Anonymous User said:

Happy to provide more info to photo.net admins if desired. If so, please get in touch via dm or email.  I would have contacted you privately about this first if you provided contact information in your privacy policy.

And yes, I agree it is indeed also possible that spammers randomly generated my photo.net signup address. Based on my own personal experience, this has never happened to me before, and seems an unlikely explanation compared to the other ones. But it is possible.

Still, I should have worded my initial message more carefully. To be as clear as possible to anyone reading this, the only thing I'm claiming as fact is that I have received spam on an address I used only for photo.net. The rest is speculation.

Let me see if I have this right.  You have purportedly been a member of PN since 2018.  You have a total of 3 posts in the intervening time--all of them in this thread.  You have never posted an image to PN.  I am not going to discuss your previous user name, but I wish to thank you for bringing a security risk to light in terms of disallowed usernames.  This has been addressed.

Three administrators have now posted to this thread--all of us stating the same thing.  PN has not been 'hacked.'  The member database has not been sold to devious Indian spam factories.

Thanks to those who posted constructive comments.  I believe that we have a nice handle on the flow of incoming spam now.  Keep a sharp eye, as a random bit might float in now and then.  And with that this thread has run its useful course.