Warning about PM's spam and email harvesting

We've had a few reports about members being asked for their email in PM's, followed by spam promoting another site sent to their email box.

To clarify -

Sending out links inviting people to visit/join other sites is considered spam. As with any kind of spam via PM or on the board, this could get you immediately banned. Asking members for their emails, and then sending them the invite can also be construed as forum spam, and could also get you banned.

Generally speaking, I would recommend against giving away your email via PM, unless you consider that member to be your friend. We try to protect your privacy and will never share your emails with anyone, and provide you with a PM system so that you don't have to share your email with anyone either.

If you get spam via PM, or suspect another member spammed your email inbox, please do report it to me at [email protected] or PM myself or a moderator about it.

Thank you for your cooperation and for helping us keep TCS a friendly and safe environment for all!

I don't envy you, Anne, running a big site like this.

Just wanted to say that you do a fabulous job...

Thanks, Anne.

Mani said:

I don't envy you, Anne, running a big site like this.

Just wanted to say that you do a fabulous job...

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Thank you! Never a dull moment , but fortunately we have an absolutely awesome team here that does a LOT of behind-the-scenes work to keep things running smoothly.

Anne, thanks for the warning. I am wondering if you ever got my PM... there seemed to be some trouble with another member and PMs as well, so I'm not sure you ever actually received it.

I heard from my brother that he got the PM, too, so they were apparently harvesting way down through the ranks.
 

I've never received anything like that.  Maybe they go down the list alphabetically?

I do consider some members here to be friends, and I have exchanged email and private addresses with some members.  But I wouldn't give that kind of information to someone I didn't know, or trust.

Glad to know the mods/owner watches and wards

I know one site I belong to (an vaping (e-cigarettes)) can be a pain in the butt when you're new but it has a spam policy. New members can only post their first few messages in the newbe section. I forget how many posts they have to make (not being spam) before they are allowed on to other forums and to PM other members.

It's a pain in the butt when you are new (like I said) and not sure on how they code the access levels but I think in a year I have only saw one spammer get through. Mostly people will say they have a link and if anyone is interested to PM them. Not spam but for something that might get a mod upset if it was posted on a public forum.... Like in a general forum if people are talking about eBay or eStee and someone is interested in what they were talking about (say a book, or quilt, or camera)  as an example.

RunningWolf said:

Glad to know the mods/owner watches and wards

I know one site I belong to (an vaping (e-cigarettes)) can be a pain in the butt when you're new but it has a spam policy. New members can only post their first few messages in the newbe section. I forget how many posts they have to make (not being spam) before they are allowed on to other forums and to PM other members.


It's a pain in the butt when you are new (like I said) and not sure on how they code the access levels but I think in a year I have only saw one spammer get through. Mostly people will say they have a link and if anyone is interested to PM them. Not spam but for something that might get a mod upset if it was posted on a public forum.... Like in a general forum if people are talking about eBay or eStee and someone is interested in what they were talking about (say a book, or quilt, or camera)  as an example.

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Did you see that we have a Vaping social group here?

http://www.thecatsite.com/groups/show/160/vapers-group

Unfortunately we can't limit the posting of new members. It's not that the system can't handle it, it's that the majority of first time posters join because of a cat emergency. Just the chance that our members could save the life of a single cat is enough to allow full access to new posters. The site does have a spam filter that catches a lot though.

mrblanche said:

I heard from my brother that he got the PM, too, so they were apparently harvesting way down through the ranks.
 

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Natalie_ca said:

I've never received anything like that.  Maybe they go down the list alphabetically?

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As someone that was asked to do this, but never did, this originated from a previous [banned] member that has created a site that is basically a clone of TCS. This "new" forum morphed from a forum idea I had that did NOT pertain specifically to kitties (and what TCS does) that was being discussed between me and another current member via PM and email. I'm guilty of sharing this forum idea with the banned member via email. She then created a forum (way outside the scope of what I had the idea about) that is so similar to TCS that I didn't feel comfortable with her asking me to provide my friends' emails from here at TCS to ask them to join.

I am in with TCS and would never, ever consider doing what this previous [banned] member wanted. Her repeated requests via email made me feel quite uneasy--it just didn't feel right. I feel bad for members that have perhaps unknowingly (about TCS rules) complied with her requests and subsequently have had to suffer the consequences.

TIPS:

• If a member that you don't know--or aren't completely sure is a friend--asks you for your email address, please find out specifically why they want it...and I do mean in depth why they want it.
• TCS goes above and beyond to protect members, so unless you know for sure that another member is trustworthy, do NOT give them your email address.
• Only share your email address with someone that you have known for a long enough time span to verify they are a friend.
• Get consent from anyone whose email addresses you have--they have a right to know because privacy is a huge deal--if you intend to share it with a third party. This would include PMs cc'd to other members in a group-type PM; don't automatically assume that it is okay to share their email addresses.
• Spam email is considered a crime according to the CAN-SPAM act pertaining to businesses, and also to Unwanted Text and Email Messages.

I'm a fairly new-ish member, and I have a few friends on TCS now, but I would never dream of sharing their email addresses with someone else without their consent.

Because I know who it is that is wanting friends to do this, I just wanted to put this out there to help quash any fears that TCS has been compromised in some manner and that some random person or company is mining email addresses from members here. Anne knows who it is and is taking the appropriate steps to deal with it. Kudos, Anne, and mods!

I have to admit, I was one of the people that did get roped into this by the banned member. I was repeatedly contacted by her via email, and I began to feel sorry that she had lost a lot of friends and such a great place to talk about kitties and when she asked me to help her out with designing her forum, I said I would help. I really regret this decision now. I did contact a few members here by PM for her and invite them to her forum via email (per her request). This did leave me with a bad feeling. But I really just thought of it as helping someone out who misses her friends and would like a place to talk with them again. It completely slipped my mind that contacting via email might be construed as spamming. I thought her site was intended to be a message board for cat lovers, not a malicious act against TCS.

I'm so so sorry to any of you who have received this email. I now have absolutely nothing to do with the banned member or the website. I'm sorry to anyone who was offended or aggravated by this, this was definitely not my intention and I apologize. I love TCS more than anything and will always be a loyal, dedicated and active member here.

I'm sorry.

kittylover23 said:

.

I'm so so sorry to any of you who have received this email. I now have absolutely nothing to do with the banned member or the website. I'm sorry to anyone who was offended or aggravated by this, this was definitely not my intention and I apologize. I love TCS more than anything and will always be a loyal, dedicated and active member here.

I'm sorry.

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I got one and declined because I am too lazy to keep up with my e-mail.  I was neither offended or aggravated by it.  So, apology accepted, but not needed.

Thank you for the warning. Privacy is a big issue online and i feel better knowing you are doing such a good job protecting ours.

Ooh, is that why I got that PM from you kittylover23? I saw it and thought it was strange. 

kittylover23 said:

:heart3: I'm sorry.

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AWWWW Jen..... honey...... It is alright Really. You are so well loved here on TCS!!!! Keep your chin up! :heart3:

Yeah that would be the major downfall of a similar policy here, having a kitty emergency and needing answers fast.

Feralvr said:

AWWWW Jen..... honey...... It is alright

Really. You are so well loved here on TCS!!!! Keep your chin up!

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I second this! We wuv you, Jen!