Beware! Spammers Are On The Loose! .


Kind of obvious, but hey ho!

A warning for Six Word Saturday.

Well, it does fit in… sorta.

This links to my other blog.

And it appears treachery is afoot.

A little added drama for Saturday!!!

I think that’s enough sets of six words for now, so I’ll continue as normal. As normal for me. Whatever that may be…

I’ve received a few new followers on my other blog, Splodge and Splatter, over the past few weeks, and I’m not complaining about that at all. I like followers, and, believe it or not, I do like following as well (when I get the chance to, that is (but that is another story (ongoing, but best kept for another time.)))

I recently posted Meteor Shower and the other day a comment was left in moderation, from one of these new followers, that merely said ‘! .’ I didn’t approve it, for no other reason than the fact that I’m waaaay behind with comments on that blog – think of my badness on this blog and multiply it by ten over there. Yesterday another new follower left the very same message on the same post, but I noticed this second message swiftly vanish from the screen – it had been swept up into spam.

This arose my curiosity, so I looked into the links behind the commenters. They appear to be from WordPress bloggers, both blogs starting in June this year, and both blogging about a mixed bag of topics. I don’t mind mixed topics; some folk blog about what interests them and have a blog specifically for that, and others blog about anything and everything (much like myself), and I don’t mind either. It’s the person behind the blog that interests me (as well as what they write, I hasten to add!) What I noticed about both blogs is that each post of theirs had quite a few links within them.

Links are useful, helpful and can be fun to follow, so I don’t mind them in posts either. I’ve linked to Splodge and Splatter in this post (just sayin’!) which is my arty creative blog, which is building up quite a large portfolio of digital creations (‘though it is meant for any creation, I hasten to add (again!)).

With the two ‘! .’ comments, my spider-sense tingled. With the links in their posts, my spider-sense went off the scale. I may be a little too untrusting here, but I’m not going to be visiting those links. Gut feeling tells me not to. Spider-sense also tells me not to. And if they weren’t enough, the ‘! .’ acts as a warning all by itself.

So there.

This has been a:

Six Word Saturday Blogging Service Announcement.

And a Splodge and Splatter advertisement.

(*Worry not – if you visit, you’ll be welcomed with open arms! (Subject to approval (I really seem to like brackets today (Hehehe!))))


 

29 responses to “Beware! Spammers Are On The Loose! .”

  1. BeckyB avatar

    ooh I have had one of those recently too, am also getting lots of weird contacts via blog emails. Not good 😦

    btw have you picked up on any problems with notifications of replies to your comments on other blogs? I have finally twigged today that I am no longer getting notifications of replies to my comments on other blogs!

    My settings say I should get them so not sure what has happened . . .hoping it is a temporary fault, but before I go and have words with the #happyengineers thought I’d check to see if you have noticed anything.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. prenin avatar

      Hi Becky! 🙂

      I’ve had the same problem for years, but ‘likes’ get through and I now use the reader to catch up on my friends postings although I miss the email alerts I used to get!!! 😦

      I left reports for the WordPress Tinker Gnomes and nobody got back to me, so I just had to use my work-arounds.

      WordPress is full of bugs which seem to be permanent even though they have been reported again and again… 😦

      Hope you have a great weekend!!! 🙂 ❤

      Prenin.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. BeckyB avatar

        Thanks so much for getting in touch. Glad I’m not the only one who struggles with the wordpress gremlins. They seem to have disappeared at the moment thank goodness
        Hope you’re having a great weekend too ☺

        Liked by 2 people

    2. Tom Merriman avatar

      Hi Becky, I can’t say I’ve noticed not receiving the notifications, but I’m so behind I couldn’t actually be sure.
      I’m replying through the orange thingy on the blog now, and that always turns orange if a new comment or like is left, on both of my active blogs. I’ll try and keep an eye on things to see if there is something happening.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. BeckyB avatar

        Orange thingy?!!

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Tom Merriman avatar

          Yes… on the computer, in the top right-hand corner, there’s what looks like a bell and it has an orange dot whenever something is waiting to be looked a. I click that, and it shows all of the comments and likes (plus milestones every now and again!) and I sometimes reply through that. Sometimes it saves time.

          Like

          1. BeckyB avatar

            Ah that’s what I use too 😊 but for a while it stopped showing the replies to comments on other blogs ?!!!

            Liked by 1 person

            1. Tom Merriman avatar

              How odd… I haven’t noticed that, but then again if it isn’t there I’d probably not notice it!

              Like

  2. Soul Gifts avatar
    Soul Gifts

    Just adding my bit in here. I do get notifications of replies I post to other blogs. However, Spam is picking up a lot of stuff daily (mainly pornographic in nature despite my having key word blocks in place- not sure if that’s the right term.) I am also getting quite a lot of new followers who have nothing on their sites. I have learnt how to identify them now so just delete the notifications.

    Liked by 4 people

    1. prenin avatar

      Hi hun! 🙂

      Yes it is a problem: I have set my blog not to be searchable so only friends and friends of friends have access.

      Being public causes all kinds of mischief – hopefully you’ll be OK as you are one smart lady! 😉 ❤

      God Bless!

      Prenin.

      Liked by 2 people

    2. Tom Merriman avatar

      I haven’t noticed the blank blogs or pornographic things, Raili, but deleting is the best option. I was going to say also mark them as spam, but if they are being picked up as spam already it may not be necessary.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. thecobweboriumemporium avatar

    I’ve had a spate of comments which go into the spam folder too. The most recent one was extremely offensive and quite frightening to be honest. I looked to see if there was somewhere on WordPress that I could report a comment like it, but couldn’t find anything. In the end I just deleted it as I thought that getting it ‘gone’ would get it out of my head. Sadly, it hasn’t happened yet. The thought of it and it’s contents still frightens me.
    ~ Cobs.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. prenin avatar

      Not good hun. 😦

      I haven’t reported any bad messages – you CAN block them though! 🙂

      God Bless! 🙂 ❤

      Prenin.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. thecobweboriumemporium avatar

        Many thanks Prenin.
        I’ll investigate that blocking thing so that I’ll know where it is, and how to do it, if there is a next time.
        Have a blessed rest of your day.
        ~ Cobs.

        Liked by 2 people

    2. Tom Merriman avatar

      Oh no. Cobs!
      I think just marking it as spam should do the trick, and marking it as spam with absolute vigour will help you with any residual feelings it caused…. then deleting it, obviously.
      One way to get it out of your mind is to treat it just as words on a screen. However hurtful, nasty, they’re just words. Pixels even. And then ignore them. Hope you’re a little less frightened now… and shame on the perpetrator behind the nasty comment.

      Liked by 4 people

  4. bcparkison avatar

    Well..being pretty new at this I like new followers,but some are really strange and I can’t for the life of me understand why they want to follow me. Unless..it’s like people on facebook who rack up hundreds of friends they have no connection to. ???

    Liked by 3 people

    1. prenin avatar

      More a case of farming contact details to spread spam hun.

      WordPress is pretty vulnerable to that kind of thing… 😦 ❤

      God Bless! 🙂 ❤

      Prenin.

      Liked by 2 people

    2. Tom Merriman avatar

      I haven’t used Facebook in years, Beverly, and never understood why complete strangers would add you as a friend there… although here in Blogland it is a little different, and some bloggers just happen upon our sites and like what they see. Unless, of course, they are spam followers, which are of no use whatsoever! 😀

      Liked by 2 people

  5. prenin avatar

    Be VERYT wary Tom! 😦

    If a message comes with a link – I don’t care if it’s from God Almighty – don’t click on the link!!! 😦

    God Bless!

    Prenin.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Tom Merriman avatar

      Excellent advice, my friend.

      Liked by 1 person

  6. restlessjo avatar

    I must be very dense, Tom. I don’t understand what the spammers get from spamming. What’s in it for them? I trash willy nilly these days but it’s an annoying waste of time. I’d much rather come and admire..I’ve forgotten what it’s called? Splodges and measles? No, I don’t think that can be it. At least you probably get a giggle out of me. Happy weekend, Tom! 🙂 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    1. prenin avatar

      Hi hun! 🙂

      Spammers either farm email addresses to sell illegal drugs of dubious quality etc, or send toxic links that see your PC taken over and held for ransom. 😦

      So far I’ve avoided the ransomware (which has been much in the news, like the Wannacry worm that hit the NHS so badly), but I get fake Facebook messages almost every day which I just block.

      Unfortunately they are sent via compromised email addresses so sending them to the Powers That Be doesn’t do much. 😦

      God Bless! 🙂

      Prenin.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. restlessjo avatar

        Bad guys huh? I’ll keep watching my step. Thanks a lot x

        Liked by 2 people

        1. Tom Merriman avatar

          Always best to be prepared, Jo.

          Liked by 2 people

    2. Tom Merriman avatar

      To be honest, Jo, I think it is a complete waste of their time to spam, but some unscrupulous folk pay big money for our details, and the spammers are blinded by greed they just do it regardless. Splodges and measles doesn’t quite fit the bill, but there are some very splotchy creations over there! 😀

      Liked by 2 people

  7. MrsCraft avatar

    Funny you say that, I’ve had the same happen to me and it’s a bit sneakier than the usual obvious spam. Hmmmm

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Tom Merriman avatar

      They look genuine, don’t they, MrsCraft. I actually think some may be, but they should really give themselves a chance by commenting at least properly! 😀

      Like

  8. -Eugenia avatar

    Thank you for sharing your experience about confusing and perhaps, undesirable comments. I haven’t seen too many – yet, and I am always on the look out for same. With that said, there is always a lot of unwanted junk in my spam.

    I’ve noticed I don’t get notified of all comments from my followers. All of sudden, I see a comment in a post that has been there for a few days. Grrrrr!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Tom Merriman avatar

      I’ve noticed some notifications not notifying me now that I’m looking, Eugenia, but only a few.
      Keep alert, is what I say.

      Like

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