How to stop banned member from trying to sign up again!

A

Alvin63

Well-known member
So I had to ban someone a couple of days ago. Probably a troll, certainly a pest and caused havoc. Since then they emailed the contact us email and asked for it to be lifted. I replied explaining that the inappropriate links and words breached forum rules. (It was more than that, but that was the final nail).

Last night they tried to sign up again with a different username. All first posts go to manual moderation, and it was flagged as being the same ip address. Rejected it.

Today trying to sign up again with a different username again. The Ip wasn't flagged, but checked and it's the same area and clearly the same person by the content.

Any suggestions? I can't see the point in banning the IP for that area as they could just use a vpn.
 
Alvin63 said:
I'm half tempted just to let them register again and let all posts go for manual approval and delete them as they arrive. Maybe they'll give up and go away.
Click to expand...
Yes, this is better than trying to block IP regions. You could just assign that member to be discouraged and they would just get annoyed and leave.
 
Or how about if I accept the registration and then just change their password so they can't log in? Duplicate memberships usually get flagged.
 
Alvin63 said:
How about putting them in a usergroup with permissions set that they can't post?
Click to expand...

Alvin63 said:
Or how about if I accept the registration and then just change their password so they can't log in? Duplicate memberships usually get flagged.
Click to expand...
It really comes down to how much effort you want to put into just managing a small amount of users that may cause issues.
We employ the restricted posting option as well as discouraging problematic users.
 
Thank you. I've set discouragement for the new account and all posts to go to manual approval (where they will be deleted anyway as inappropriate. I can only see the option to turn off posting rather than restricting posting. It is just one user.
 
I'll just leave all posts to go to manual approval. If I delete a post in the approval queue - do they get a message that it's been deleted?
 
MySiteGuy said:
Let them in, then put them on global ignore. They'll lose interest when they think everyone is giving them the silent treatment.
Click to expand...
Ozzy47

Thread '[OzzModz] Global User Ignore (Tachy Goes to Coventry)'

Ozzy47 submitted a new resource:

[OzzModz] Global User Ignore (Tachy Goes to Coventry) - Addon containing the most highly requested ignore/block features in XF2

About this addon
This works similar to vBulletin's "Tachy Goes to Coventry" feature that many of know and love. Now you can finally stop the moderators nightmares. Add unwanted users to the global ignore without letting them know about it.

Ignore Duration
Users can be placed on global ignore indefinitely or for a certain period of time. Ignore duration can be set globally from the add on...
Click to expand...
  • Like
 
They seem to have gone away now after trying to open a new account twice - left the last account on discouraged and moderator approval. They have gone to another forum (feel sorry for them!) where this user is behaving the same, getting the same responses and may get banned again at this rate.
 
Alvin63 said:
They seem to have gone away now after trying to open a new account twice - left the last account on discouraged and moderator approval. They have gone to another forum (feel sorry for them!) where this user is behaving the same, getting the same responses and may get banned again at this rate.
Click to expand...
Are the IP's from the UK? I help admin a forum that we had a troublemaker like that Joined and caused issues and we banned and they just kept coming back wanting more and more chances. User end up creating more than 100 accounts that we knew of and most likely more. We haven't heard from them in a long time. Most of the IP's were from the UK until she started using vpn's/proxy servers.
 
No, from the US - first couple of accounts after banning were obvious as from the same town (plus the post content). I suspect a third account might have been opened - other side of the country but may be a vpn. Hence I decided not to ban last time so they couldn't open any more accounts (I have Andy B's duplicate account check addon). However if they were using a vpn they could open more accounts...... although I think the addon does more than just go by the IP address - goes by device id as well I think. All new members have first post moderated anyway so I should be able to weed any more out.

It must be so much effort to keep making new email accounts - why do they bother?!
 
Last edited:
Anyway I'm now suspecting this 3rd account is them - from a completely different location and duplicate account check didn't get flagged so they must be using a different device, but I can't be sure! It could just be a new user. I suspect it is them though, Their first post was in the rules section asking how do you make a post on here? Which is odd anyway because if they manage to make a post already on the Rules section And they can make one somewhere else. Subsequent posts were just on the games threads and no introduction which is what people usually do when they have a pet and mention the pet. So not sure what to do about this account now. Or how I find out who it is!

They had an opportunity by email to admit they posted a couple of inappropriate links and give an explanation if they wanted to come back and there is no reply to that They seem to prefer joining up with a fake identity. And seems to have a mission to get round the system.

So for now I've just left that account on manual approval and not approved any posts, even though they're just responses to games threads, and see what happens. Messaged them and asked a few questons. They can reply to an admin message if theyre genuine.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom