Ban Contact By IP?

[bgordon]

As my site gets busier, I notice that the number of scammers who use the site to contact my sellers with their pitches (often in the worst english immaginable) is increasing. As it sits now, I get copies of the contact emails and try to alert the sellers to the scams but I cannot seem to stop them.

At the very least and since I have their IP address, I want to block emails being sent from a specific IP. What would it take to keep a list of banned IPs and have the script check the sender's against it when they submit (or earlier if possible) and display a message on the screen telling why they cannot contact using our site. That way, as the list grows, someone can get their IP off it where the offender had a dynamic IP.

What about blocking all comms from the offending countries or continents.

I am sure others selling high value items are having these issues too. It pisses customers off and makes alot of extra work for the admin.

My market is Canada and USA... nowhere else.

Any ideas?

[Lhotch]

The problem with blocking IP's is that if the person is using a dial up account they are given an IP from a pool so when you block an IP often times all they have to do is disconnect and redail to get a new IP. One could do some research on the source host you could find the IP range that they control and ban the whole range. However where there is a will there is a way and people are now often using proxies to get around this which means you would have to identify the various proxies and block them as well which may also block legitimate customers.

In the end there is no sure fire way. Ideally the way I see something like this working is that in admin you have a form where you can manage IPs to limit access to the contacts forms. IP's are stored in a table and checked against visitor IP and if visitor IP is in the list then simply dont display the contact form.

Perhaps this would make a good mod. I have some time off work at the end of the year and will look more into making this.

[bgordon]

I have another variation.

What about caching all the sent messages. The admin logs in, previews them and then releases them if they are ok.

A list view initially, then a detailed view to read the message and a release, bounce or delete button.

The release would release the mail to the seller. The bounce would send it back to the originator with a comment by the admin, the delete would simply delete it. The seller is buffered from all this. There should also be a select box to click on several messages to effect a button press for each. This would speed up mass deletes or bounces when the sender e-mailed many people with the same script.

It would mean a new table in SQL I assume, but seems pretty simple. This would accomplish the same thing I have been doing by getting copies of all messages but half the work.

Thoughts?

[garysr]

I need this also! Would be a great Mod! I have seen contact forms with (the users IP shown and it says "To Scammers and Frauds this is your IP address" ) I was just fixin to ask for such a thing!

Good job bgordon!

[civ]

We screen our contact forms per IP and only allow them through for certain countries. I suppose we could wrap it up as a mod...

[SkGold]

Originally Posted by garysr

I have seen contact forms with (the users IP shown and it says "To Scammers and Frauds this is your IP address" ) I was just fixin to ask for such a thing!

Garysr, if you just want to show IPs, you could add {$smarty.server.REMOTE_ADDR} in your contactowner and contactus templates below the form.

[bgordon]

Originally Posted by civ

We screen our contact forms per IP and only allow them through for certain countries. I suppose we could wrap it up as a mod...

I would like to be able to block access to all but a few select countries. How soon could you have this mod ready and how much?

Also, what about my screen and release idea further up? Is this something do-able?

I have been getting clobbered over the past week by scammers sending mail to my sellers. They are forwarding them back to me asking what can be done. I need to do something.

[garysr]

Thanks Gold! I'll do that!

I'd like that Mod also CIV!

[civ]

Originally Posted by bgordon

I would like to be able to block access to all but a few select countries. How soon could you have this mod ready and how much?

Also, what about my screen and release idea further up? Is this something do-able?

I have been getting clobbered over the past week by scammers sending mail to my sellers. They are forwarding them back to me asking what can be done. I need to do something.

We are working on a couple of other mods right now but it shouldn't take us too long if there is enough interest. We implemented IP screening months ago and it has been the biggest timesaver of anything we've done for our site to date - the sheer amount of scammers out there is frightening.

The queue idea is one we considered as well, but isn't something like this already planned for 4.0?

[Lhotch]

Originally Posted by bgordon

I would like to be able to block access to all but a few select countries. How soon could you have this mod ready and how much?

Also, what about my screen and release idea further up? Is this something do-able?

I have been getting clobbered over the past week by scammers sending mail to my sellers. They are forwarding them back to me asking what can be done. I need to do something.

Im off work from Dec 23rd until the 2nd of January and could likely get this put together during that time frame. However if Civ can jump on it before then I wont bother.