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Spammer Web Sites
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brad62
2373 posts
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 posted 2/3/2008 10:04:50 AM
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Sheriff,
How would a person like I figure out a spammer site?
What should I look for?
I would not like to provide another link to a spammer.
I hate spam.
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brad62
2373 posts
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posted 2/3/2008 10:10:33 AM
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Sheriff
Admin
3807 posts
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posted 2/3/2008 8:54:11 PM
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brad, it takes a trained eye, but once you see a few you'll get the pattern.
1. If a website has just a list of links. Oftentimes it is a mistyped domain name. Example - type in Google.com, but without the last letter "e". You'll see a website that has a list of links, somewhere at the top of that list it'll say in small gray letters "Sponsored Links". This is nothing but a spammer making a quick buck off your mistake.
2. If it is a template-based page that has a standard title like "Welcome to xyz.com" (xyz.com is a domain you've typed in). It will have a menu that consists of a list of somewhat related topics. It may have a list of sponsored links on that main page, may not, but once you click on any menu all you'll see is list of links with the same title "Sponsored results".
Example: "m y w e b s i t e . c o m" (type in without spaces)
3. Site that pretends to be informational, but basically has very minor content and a LARGE amount of paid links. Example: About.com - this is as spammy as they come, nothing but 3 paragraphs of text and ads, ads and more ads.
4. Bad spam - for instance you search on Google or Yahoo! or whatever your current search engine is, and you will see a website title and short description that will look like something that describes what you are looking for. But when you click, you get redirected to a page that contains something else, a list of "Sponsored links", etc. This is a classic Doorway page that is a definition of Spam in every search engine's book.
5. Sometimes if you look at the url of the page (or link, just move mouse over link and see what's in status bar of web browser) - and it looks like this: some-spammy-keyword.some-strange-website.biz (typically it is not even a .com, commonly a .info, .biz or some other non-common TLD). Sometimes you can see this in search engine's results.
6. This is common - you'll see these ads a lot on different websites:
If you see 3-5 ads per page, it is ok, we do it too, we need to make money somehow. But on some websites all you'll see is these ads (sometimes 15-20 ads per page). Or sometimes ads will be funny like the one for eBay here. This is nothing but junk that wastes your time and bandwidth, i.e. SPAM.
7. Sites that launch 2 or more pop-ups and pop-unders i.e. there will be ads launching outside your browser window eventhough you didn't click on anything yet.
All these folks are there to either trick you to click on advertising, or scam advertisers out of their money.
[Message edited by Sheriff on 2/3/2008 9:05:22 PM]
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Sheriff
Admin
3807 posts
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posted 2/3/2008 9:04:02 PM
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Now, REAL bad stuff.
1. Sites that will launch malicious javascript code, or attempt to dump malware, spyware or viruses onto your computer when you browse them, without you knowing it.
2. Sites that pretend to be "w a r e z" i.e. provide "free" or c r a c k e d software to download for free. These guys typically put spyware, trojans or other viruses on your computer if you install it.
3. Phishing - sites that pretend to be a well-known authority, for instance a bank, and will ask you to enter your username and password. They collect that stuff, then use your bank or credit card account to buy stuff for themselves.
4. Various adult-related tricks. There are many, no time to include them all here.
5. Just plain criminal sites that will pretend that they are "legal" when they are not. Various dubious tax avoidance schemes, pyramids, sites that trick people into scummy money "investing" schemes, drug-related, gambling-related, etc.
Bascially, these folks are there to get your money.
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brad62
2373 posts
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posted 2/3/2008 10:33:13 PM
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Thank you Sheriff, that was very informative.
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