Continuous Unauthorized Posting from "Guest"

A while back we had a sensible user posting in one of my forums. After massive abuse and problems the user was IP Banned, and the account was deleted, leaving them to "Guest", and unable to post.

Months after this, we recently started getting multiple spam attacks of pornographic images from this same person (they admitted it was them). While the admins and mods cleaned up the mess, I looked at the permissions and restrictions of the forum;
- Guests can only view in every forum. No exceptions.
- All registered users need their accounts activated by an administrator.
- There is no user with the name "Guest" or their previous account name. Every time they post, we ban their IP - I'm aware the person is able to change their IP address, but how they can continue posting is beyond me.

A while ago I deleted every single one of their posts I could find, thinking the forum is automatically remembering who the person is, and thus they still have access to our forum. This afternoon, I found that didn't work when we got attacked again.

We also have younger members on our forum, some as young as 10 I believe. Other people, including myself, aren't comfortable with posting anymore, or contributing to things.

If anyone has any advice, or an admin could 'reset' the forum in anyway, I'd be more than greatful. Thanks.

Can i ask Was this a member of your forum at any time ?
If so did you ban he's Email account aswell as the ip ?

if not then your doing all you can to keep him out as you are banning he's ip and there is nothing else you can do but you could try and report him to the old bill, and track he's ip address and let he's I.S.P know what he is doing but 9 times out of 10 times there go away in time.

I think if he/she was to make an account you should just ban all the info you can (IP, Email address, and name) Do not remove he's account just leave it banned.

Hope i was of some help

~Ape~

As far as I can remember, I believe their Email account was banned too. I have some of the person's details (we used to be friends) so, if it's not on the banlist, I shall add it now.

I've also banned every IP account they have posted with, which is about 10 really. If they do make an account, I'll definitely take your advice and ban it every way I can.

Thank you for the help.

Rebecca1208 wrote:As far as I can remember, I believe their Email account was banned too. I have some of the person's details (we used to be friends) so, if it's not on the banlist, I shall add it now.

I've also banned every IP account they have posted with, which is about 10 really. If they do make an account, I'll definitely take your advice and ban it every way I can.

Thank you for the help.

Your more then welcome mate, I know what it's like to have this problem i had it on my site at one time

I keep a log on my staff room so all the staff can see the info i have banned so if they come back we have info to pass on to there I.S.P

Hope you get rid of him soon

Good luck bud your need it

~Ape~

so are you saying that post are showing up as guest when you do not have permissions for guest to post?

i believe the only way this can happen is. that the member is registering with an account. then they post. then they are using the account deletion tool to delete there account witch makes it appear as a guest.

you need a dog house.

That means you dont ban anyone anymore because they just keep returning and doing this.

the dog house is not 100% efficient but can help significantly and has worked very well for me in the past.

The dog house is a group that you create to where instead of banning members you place them in this group and they have absolutely no permissions to do anything. they are just stuck in the group and cant post ,see anything pm or nothing.

So then you have to create a group called members. all of your members will be placed in this group and you can set the permissions how you want.

Now you create a welcome board.. when a new member joins they will have to introduce there self befor you add them to the member group and allow them access to the rest of the forum.By a new member posting first and introducing themselves before gaining access.This will allow you to check there ip first.. Any ip a members uses will all show every ip and or other member they might be on the forum under another account.

So if it's someone that you have in the dog house trying to get in with another ip or account. then you know not to let that person in and put them right into the dog house again.

bu you not banning them or deleting there accounts you can do this.
but now if it's someone that is aware of the account deletion tool and they are using that. there is nothing you can do. but at least they will not have any other access to the forum. so if they are going to spam they will only be able to on the intro board and i would not even allow your members to see that board incase someone dose put inappropriate spam on that board.

Now of course once a members gets in. they can still spam.. but this will slow them down. and if your working everything correctly and keeping up on things then sooner or later they will get sick of even trying and leave.

So hope that helps thats about the only other thing i can try suggestion to try.

Interesting method. I'll have a go with that, then. As for the member deleting tool, our forum is set so members can not unsubscribe or delete their accounts. If he is deleteing his account anyway, I'm not really sure how I can put him in the Dog House as every time he posts, he's a guest. If he ever does register I wont ban him but put him into the group, then. Just still a little worried as to whether or not he can continue posting.

well the deletion tool is something that forumotion has in place to where people can delete there accounts even if you have your forum set for members not to.i think by law they have to have it.. if this member is using that then the doghouse will not help for that. but considering all members will have to be added to the members group the only board this person would be able to post is on the intro board.

but dont allow your members to even see that board this way no one will see what he is spamming if dose.

the into board is only there for you to check ip's to make sure that it's not a member thats already in the dog house.

so ok lest say that this guy creates another account, he introduces his self and now has access in the members group to the rest of the forum.

OK well he starts spamming. so you dont ban him you put him in the dog house group. so if he tries to come back with another account. then he will have to post ion the intro board first to gain access.. and then you check the ip and if it matches with another member or ip thats in the dog house then you dont allow them and put them right back in there again.

But if the deletion tool is being used.. then it wont matter. it wont work because he is deleting the account and nothing will show for his ip or other members he was.

but most do not know about this tool.. and i dont even know how to get it.
but it is forumotion tool option.

i dont like even talking about the stupid things existence. i dont know what it was ever created or why forumotion would even have this.
but i think it's something to due with laws.. but yet i ever seen any other forum host that was obligated by law to have such a tool and i dont think phpbb has this.. so i dont know?

but thats about all you can do. and it will work for those that dont know of the tool or have it.

Alright then, I'll try it out and hope that he doesn't have the deletion tool anyways. Thanks alot for the help, much appreciated.