PM spam

[NetNanny]

Say a spammer signs up and sends spam to other members via PM. Is there an option (or add-on, etc.) to delete the spammer's sent PM's once this is known? I'm not sure how vBulletin handles PM's but I read that some other forum software doesn't actually send a PM from the user's folder until the recipient "asks" for it by clicking on the You have a new message type notification. So I guess with that forum software, it could be possible for a Mod to simply delete those PM's before they are "sent".

I guess what I'd like to find out is if once the spammer has sent the PM's are they gone to their recipients for good - and waiting in those user's inbox ? Let's say the spammer logs in and spams at 7:00AM. He sends 500 PM's to various users and is finished by 10:00AM. Out of those 500 PM's there are only 10 users online at the time that read the PM's and realise it's spam and report it. So a Mod confirms this and bans the spammer. Now there are still 490 PM's that have not yet been viewed by their intended recipients because they have not logged in yet. So can a Mod/Admin see or know who those other 490 users are and delete the PM's before they get/read them ? Did I make sense ? So the conclusion would be that the spammer sent 500 PM's and only reached 10 users that saw them. The other 490 potential users will see the spam PM's if nothing is done. Can something be done, or will the 490 users, whenever they log-in, get the PM's as they would normally.


Thanks,

[SNN]

There is a option in the vBulletin admin cp (per user control) to select "Delete all PMs sent by user"

You can try vBulletin @ http://vbulletin.com/admindemo.php

[NetNanny]

There is a option in the vBulletin admin cp (per user control) to select "Delete all PMs sent by user"

You can try vBulletin @ http://vbulletin.com/admindemo.php

OK, but at what stage will it delete them ? Even once sent ??

[Steve Machol]

It will delete them when you run that option.

[NetNanny]

It will delete them when you run that option.

Very vague answer. So why do you think I gave a long and specific example ?
So a Mod can delete those sent 490 PM's before those users log in and get them ? ..thus never getting them ?

So if I send you a PM right now, is it in your inbox in a few seconds ??? And assuming you don't notice it or care not to read it - a Mod could delete it from within your inbox ?

[Steve Machol]

As noted this is an option only available in the Admin CP to Admins. Mods cannot access this or delete user PMs. The PMs are deleted when the Admin runs that function. I don't see how that is vague at all. In fact it's quite explicit.

[NetNanny]

As noted this is an option only available in the Admin CP to Admins. Mods cannot access this or delete user PMs. The PMs are deleted when the Admin runs that function. I don't see how that is vague at all. In fact it's quite explicit.

OK, I see...
An Admin then. So when the Admin runs that function from the Admin CP even PM's that are already delivered to another user will be deleted ?? From their "private" inbox ?? WOW, that's a bit of power huh ?

[Steve Machol]

There are two options to delete PMs in the user profile in the Admin CP:

Delete All User's Private Messages

Delete Private Messages Sent by User

Both of these options delete all the relevant PMs for that user when they are run by an Admin.

[NetNanny]

There are two options to delete PMs in the user profile in the Admin CP:

Delete All User's Private Messages

Delete Private Messages Sent by User

Both of these options delete all the relevant PMs for that user when they are run by an Admin.

No doubt me asking more questions will anger you, but just bear with me. So reading your 2nd line now brings up another question. Am I to interpret that for example, if I send you one PM today, you read it and leave it in your inbox, then a few weeks later I'm banned and the Admin decides to use the delete all user's sent PM's, that - that old PM sitting in your inbox will also be deleted ? Just answer with a yes or no please, just to keep it simple.

[---MAD---]

No doubt me asking more questions will anger you, but just bear with me. So reading your 2nd line now brings up another question. Am I to interpret that for example, if I send you one PM today, you read it and leave it in your inbox, then a few weeks later I'm banned and the Admin decides to use the delete all user's sent PM's, that - that old PM sitting in your inbox will also be deleted ? Just answer with a yes or no please, just to keep it simple.

Trust me Steve will not get angry .

[Steve Machol]

Yes.

[NetNanny]

Yes.

WOW, that's a bad, bad power....
So let's not kid each other, users have no real privacy huh ? I guess PM really does stand for personal messages instead of private messages.

[Nick]

WOW, that's a bad, bad power....
So let's not kid each other, users have no real privacy huh ? I guess PM really does stand for personal messages instead of private messages.

Hmm... I think you're misunderstanding.

How does removing a private message void the privacy? ... It doesn't.

What happens when a handful of members PM you saying they received a spam message from user "Joe Spammer"?
Would it not be obvious that you should delete all PMs sent by him?

And if you think it's too much power, there are two simple remedies:
1) Don't use the feature
or
2) Use a different forum script

[Steve Machol]

How is deleting a member's PMs 'bad' or an invasion of privacy? That is a standard tool for Admins to fight spammers.

The good thing is that you don't have to use it if you don't want to.

[Floris]

The private message is not private, because you usually browse a forum over http and not https; meaning no data is encrypted, a man in the middle attack can read out the plain text over the connection. Privacy is relative.

In this case it is called "private message" because it is a private message between two or more users. And not meant to be a public msg, such as a topic in a forum. It does not mean 'private, 512ssl encrypted - hashed version of the msg, that can be read one time and requires a unique key to be licensed' or something like that.

A owner of a board you own your data, this includes the private msgs and public topics and posts. And account details, such as username, email, and IP address.

If there's abuse the owner can go to the report feature in 3.8, or use phpmyadmin for older versions to try and scan for the abusive data to confirm abuse .. and take appropiate action.

If you dont' trust board owners, then don't communicate something that is supposed to be private, in a personal or private msg (or however you wish to call it) and use a ssl email over vpn network.