Spam reporting thread #72

PROCEDURES FOR REPORTING SPAM

Distinguish between the following, and flag the highest level of the violation:

-- Type 1: Irredeemable commercial spam: make sure to flag the member's profile, as well as the spammy activity. This type includes things selling strollers, pharmaceuticals, live-streaming sports games, porn, and/or trying to create traffic/links to sites for such things. Sufficient profile flags will automatically result in temporary suspension and deletion of the member's activity, so use your profile-flagging powers wisely and carefully.

-- Type 2: Teachable moments: DO NOT flag the member's profile, but DO flag the violating activity (e.g. self-promotional Talk post, group, or local venue). This type includes promotional activity that violates the Terms of Service (TOS), but where the member is potentially redeemable, e.g. overzealous authors, overzealous publishers, or other members with small TOS violations but who are otherwise using the site legitimately. These cases should be reported to staff (by sending a message or email to staff and/or or posting on this thread), so the member can be taught how to use the site.

Specific procedures:
-- Overzealous authors or publishers (these fall under type 2): do NOT flag the member's profile. Report to staff here or privately. You can also send the member a polite message pointing them to the terms, mentioning the "no promoting" language, and pointing them to the Do's and Don't page for authors: http://www.librarything.com/about_authors.php
-- Suspected sock-puppetry to promote a book, write fake reviews, and/or stack ratings: do not flag the profile, but report to staff here or by message, so staff can investigate. This is a serious violation for which members can be permanently banned.
-- Profile flags for commercial spammers only (type 1): On the member's profile page, click on the "report for spam" link, then follow instructions to flag the member. Again, this is only for commercial spam, not for "overzealous" authors, publishers, or booksellers, which should be reported to staff instead. See Talk post: http://www.librarything.com/topic/85810
-- Spam or promotional posts in a Talk topic (type 1 or 2): flag the post as an abuse of the terms of service.
-- Spam or promotional groups (types 1 and 2): flag new groups using the "flag this group" link.
-- Spam lists: report in this thread, and flag the member if it's commercial spam.
-- Spam works (type 1 spam): flag the work as spam on the work's editions page, and then vote on proposed work spam. Make sure to read the guidelines before proposing or voting, especially for what is not spam. Voting page: http://www.librarything.com/spam_works.php
-- Spam in a review (type 1), or an explicitly promotional review (type 2): flag the review as an abuse of the TOS, using the red flag.
-- Spam or promotion in "published reviews," or other CK fields (type 1 or 2): post here and/or delete.
-- Spam or egregious promotion/advertising in venues or events (type 1 or 2): post here and/or delete. Note that authors are permitted to add events for their books.
-- Spam in book links / quick links: post here and/or edit to remove spam.
-- Spam author names listed on a work: No current procedure. Tim has asked us not to change CK to indicate spammers, and not to combine spam authors together.
-- Not sure if it's spam? Post here, and explain why.

Please note that Tim has asked us not to use either CK or the combining system (whether works or authors) for spam fighting.

For more information see these wiki pages:
Procedures for flagging and reporting spam: https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Spam
Spam works, guidelines for flagging and voting: http://www.librarything.com/wiki/index.php/HelpThing:Spam_works

(A copy of these guidelines, for pasting in new threads, can be found here or at the top of previous threads.)

Good grief, the woman must have tried posting to lots of recent topics. But at least she disappeared quickly. (see next to last message in the topic this is a continuation of.)

Author spam

https://www.librarything.com/topic/323717
https://www.librarything.com/groups/alleembooks
(https://www.librarything.com/profile/shabih)

https://www.librarything.com/topic/323714
(https://www.librarything.com/profile/CCCarole)

>3 MarthaJeanne: And here
https://www.librarything.com/topic/323715#

Author spam needs one more flag:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/323796

Message has been left on his profile:

http://www.librarything.com/profile/brzenchekfoundation

https://www.librarything.com/topic/323855
https://www.librarything.com/topic/323854
https://www.librarything.com/topic/323853
https://www.librarything.com/topic/323852
https://www.librarything.com/topic/323851
https://www.librarything.com/topic/323849
https://www.librarything.com/topic/323847
https://www.librarything.com/topic/323846
https://www.librarything.com/topic/323842
https://www.librarything.com/profile/DouglasMoonstone

He was warned once before, and then did this crap again. Has been warned, don't flag profile.

One you missed

http://www.librarything.com/topic/323844

>6 gilroy:

He was warned once before

Are you sure? It looks as though all the comments about this on his profile were left today.

>6 gilroy: He joined on August 26, so is a new member--no previous warnings.

>9 Marissa_Doyle: That's what I was just going to point out.

>8 lilithcat: >9 Marissa_Doyle: >10 clamairy: I misread the date on when he was warned. Never mind. Just profile just for tracking then.

Spam group:
https://www.librarything.com/groups/forwhatreasondoyoune

>12 konallis:

Gone - that was fast!

Do we know who created it, so we can flag them too, or did they go too?

>14 gilroy: I reported the creator (it was fairly obviously a commercial profile), though can't find them again now the group's gone.

>15 konallis:

It's a good idea to flag the profile, and post the link here, so that others can also flag it, if necessary.

New member https://www.librarything.com/profile/Booksbylisajacovsky

I flagged post and left message on profile.

>17 rodneyvc: Lots of posts All the same author spam.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/323952
https://www.librarything.com/topic/323956 - gone
https://www.librarything.com/topic/323954
https://www.librarything.com/topic/323955 - gone
https://www.librarything.com/topic/323953 - gone

All gone now.

>16 lilithcat: Thanks. I usually forget to save both URLs in advance (since once you flag a Group, it disappears from your view).

Spam group: https://www.librarything.com/groups/sepantagolfam
Created by: https://www.librarything.com/profile/sepantagolfam

https://www.librarything.com/profile/Billycrossbooks (Enthusiastic Author. Message left, do not flag)

https://www.librarything.com/topic/323961
https://www.librarything.com/topic/323958

>21 gilroy:
>22 anglemark:
All topics gone.

groups:
https://www.librarything.com/groups/ifyouareinterestedi2
https://www.librarything.com/groups/ifyouareinterestedin
https://www.librarything.com/groups/silesmystresdelaterr

he's been warned before:
https://www.librarything.com/profile/DouglasMoonstone

>24 Taphophile13: I'm wondering if he doesn't fully understand English, which the author page is written in.

>25 gilroy:

That's possible, but the lengthy blurbs about two of those groups are in quite decent English, not "run through Google translate" English. So unless he got someone else to translate for him, he has no excuses.

Now he's popping up in the Green Dragon.
https://www.librarything.com/topic/323973#

Just flagged him there. Ain’t having that stuff in the Pub.

>28 haydninvienna: Thank you. And now it's gone.

This is still up:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/323972#

>30 spiralsheep: That one's allowed, because it's in the designated advertising space.

>31 gilroy: Thank you. That's why I linked it instead of flagging it. The rules are too complicated for me.

Author spam by (https://www.librarything.com/profile/TheInhumaneSociety)

https://www.librarything.com/topic/324013
https://www.librarything.com/topic/324011
https://www.librarything.com/topic/324012
https://www.librarything.com/topic/324014
https://www.librarything.com/topic/324010

These are all gone.

>33 MarthaJeanne: The profile's gone too.

Definite spammer:

http://www.librarything.com/profile/LukeWhite01

http://www.librarything.com/topic/323348#7256255

https://www.librarything.com/topic/322439#7256248
https://www.librarything.com/topic/323280#7256252
https://www.librarything.com/topic/323348#7256255
https://www.librarything.com/profile/LukeWhite01

ETA
https://www.librarything.com/topic/323906#7256258

>35 spiralsheep: >36 haydninvienna: All gone now.

Wow. Gone! Five minutes!

>39 norabelle414: Those are gone.

Author plugging his book (3 messages in 1 thread):
https://www.librarything.com/topic/7179#7264801
https://www.librarything.com/topic/7179#7264807
https://www.librarything.com/topic/7179#7264813

(https://www.librarything.com/profile/Thor-7)
left message

https://www.librarything.com/topic/324412#
https://www.librarything.com/topic/223189#7264168

Audiobook store: https://www.librarything.com/profile/Luulit
not sure if that should be treated as regular spam or author/publisher spam

ETA: gone now so irrelevant

https://www.librarything.com/topic/324434

Enthusiastic Author.
https://www.librarything.com/profile/ElizabethCee (Already left message)

>43 gilroy:

And I see that she did the right thing and deleted her post.

>44 lilithcat: She's posted in Hobnob just before this one. Glad she fixed it.

Spam post that survived since 2018 :o

https://www.librarything.com/topic/272634#6485870

Overenthusiastic author:
https://www.librarything.com/profile/sheiladerreberry
https://www.librarything.com/topic/324659#7271272
https://www.librarything.com/topic/324658#7271271
https://www.librarything.com/topic/324657#7271270

>48 haydninvienna: https://www.librarything.com/topic/324656

is gone, but

https://www.librarything.com/topic/324658
https://www.librarything.com/topic/324659

are still open.

Only one still there:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/324658#7271271

>50 spiralsheep: Added a flag.

All messages from this account have been spam:

http://www.librarything.com/profile/SummerSpencer0

>52 spiralsheep:

By "messages", do you mean Talk posts or do you mean comments left on other profiles?

>52 spiralsheep: I can't flag on the basis of your opinion that it is spam. Please give a link to the spam.

>54 MarthaJeanne: I have time to help out by flagging and posting a link. I don't have time to collect and post multiple links. My post gives other people the opportunity to use their available time wisely, by scanning / searching talk for a specific name.

I didn't suggest anyone should flag anything on the basis of my opinion. No need for a rude personal remark. Creating a hostile environment discourages volunteering.

>55 spiralsheep:

>54 MarthaJeanne: wasn't making a "rude personal remark". She was just pointing out that we need to know why something is considered spam before flagging it.

It does happen that on occasion people mark as spam something that isn't, so it's natural to want to know the reasoning.

That is why it helps to post links to the purported spam as well as the alleged spammer's profile.

scanning / searching talk for a specific name

But you cannot search talk for posts by a specific name. You can find the name if it's mentioned in a post, but you can't find posts made by a specific person.

ETA: I would also note that "scanning" talk for a name only works if a) you are viewing Talk in such a way as to see the topics in which the alleged spanner has posted (many people have various groups/topics on "ignore"), and b) the alleged spammer is the last person to have posted in the topic.

Author offering his book for download
https://www.librarything.com/topic/324671#

left note (https://www.librarything.com/profile/acharns)

>55 spiralsheep: If you only want to post one link, then please give the link to the spam.

>52 spiralsheep: Plus, if it’s author spam; we don’t flag the profile, we leave an informational message.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/324705#
https://www.librarything.com/topic/324704#
https://www.librarything.com/topic/324706

(https://www.librarything.com/profile/nicolejonesbooks)

First one still needs one flag.

What is it with new authors posting in the 75 book challenge group all of a sudden?

Suspecting author, based on the way they're advertising and the fact that it's a new profile:
https://www.librarything.com/profile/Holotheist17 (Already left note)

https://www.librarything.com/topic/324699#
https://www.librarything.com/topic/324698

Author spam. I've left a message.

https://www.librarything.com/profile/Montecolemanbooks

https://www.librarything.com/topic/324717
https://www.librarything.com/topic/324716
https://www.librarything.com/topic/324715

(https://www.librarything.com/profile/Montecolemanbooks)

This author spam is probably all being done by the same person. Just too similar to >60 MarthaJeanne: and several others recently.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/324716
https://www.librarything.com/topic/324717
https://www.librarything.com/topic/324715

Book talk
Club read
75 book challenge
Talk about LibraryThing

This one's been around too long

http://www.librarything.com/topic/311294#7271507

>66 lilithcat:

Fourth flag added!

Spam group: https://www.librarything.com/groups/themosteffectivemet2
Founded by member: https://www.librarything.com/profile/maditationservices

>67 konallis:

Both gone now.

One more flag needed: http://www.librarything.com/topic/324813

Message left on profile: http://www.librarything.com/profile/JulieJoeB

Gone now

https://www.librarything.com/profile/SamLongworth
https://www.librarything.com/topic/324772#7274709

That was fast.

computer services/repairs
https://www.librarything.com/profile/hungphatcp
https://www.librarything.com/groups/hungphatcp2

>72 Taphophile13: Gone.

https://www.librarything.com/work/7494671 has been proposed as spam, but those are legit items, albeit several unrelated combined together because they share ISBN. Either way, 40 members have the work, so it's not going to be spam. The cover amazon shows for one of those is some unrelated product, even though the work is audio CD, which is I believe why it was flagged in the first place. But only the cover seems flaggable

Take a look at those members’ libraries. They are all remarkably similar. Scam, if not spam.

>74 SandraArdnas:, >75 2wonderY:

It looks like a number of those libraries are a mix of legitimate books and spam. Not sure what that's about.

It’s a common tactic to fly below the radar, I think. The various accounts even use the same legitimate works.

>75 2wonderY: Indeed, and the few spam ones I opened are also combined with legit works, so before flagging them, we should separate those.

Author spam. I've left a message.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/325068
https://www.librarything.com/profile/LeonStevens

>79 amanda4242: Gone.

>79 amanda4242: He's actually a newbie, been here since February. I thought the name looked familiar...

https://www.librarything.com/profile/daniel.agranovsky
Enthusiastic 15 year old author. (Already left profile message)

https://www.librarything.com/topic/325091 (Join to flag)

>82 gilroy: But after you flag you can leave again.

>83 MarthaJeanne: Yes, but I was giving the alert to those who wanted to flag it.

Gone now.

Author spam:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/325164

http://www.librarything.com/profile/S.McFadden (message left)

>86 lilithcat: That's gone, but while we're at it, he has a review that is just a quote from somebody else.

Scam spam: http://www.librarything.com/topic/325036#7282943

>88 lilithcat: gone

>60 MarthaJeanne: https://www.librarything.com/profile/nicolejonesbooks is at it again.

Film streaming spam:

Group: http://www.librarything.com/groups/airincorin
Member: http://www.librarything.com/profile/airincorin
Work: http://www.librarything.com/work/25532242/190714647

http://www.librarything.com/profile/BodanKaraoke

translation: specializes in providing professional home karaoke, modern new technology brings good sound, with many genuine cheap prices suitable to each customer's needs.

Author spam

https://www.librarything.com/topic/325234

(https://www.librarything.com/profile/rjj1965)

Author created a group to promote his book:
https://www.librarything.com/groups/thernrhour

(https://www.librarything.com/profile/RayRogers) left note

>94 Taphophile13: Guess they chose to run instead of try to join the community.

>95 gilroy:

Well, sure. Because if you can't use the site to advertise your book, what's the point? /snark/

>93 MarthaJeanne: The author doesn't think offering free copies is advertising.

Author posted links for his book on Amazon:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/321853#7284980

(https://www.librarything.com/profile/floweroflife36) left message

Advertising her podcast:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/3252577

http://www.librarything.com/profile/Channeling_Ana

author advertising book

https://www.librarything.com/topic/325498#7290986
https://www.librarything.com/profile/Dennislcarverbooks

Edit: there's also a review not marked as author review, but flags are only for 'not a review' and TOS violations. How does it get labelled as authors reviewing their own work?

>101 SandraArdnas: https://www.librarything.com/topic/325499
https://www.librarything.com/topic/325500

These as well

>101 SandraArdnas:

How does it get labelled as authors reviewing their own work?

I believe the person must be an LT author for that to happen. Otherwise, there's no way for the system to know that it's the author.

Author spam:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/325512

https://www.librarything.com/profile/Abhishe67403471 (Comment left)

>103 lilithcat: Thanks, that makes sense, but leaves us with no option to mark self-reviews when necessary

SandraArdnas (#105):

Thanks, that makes sense, but leaves us with no option to mark self-reviews when necessary

There never has been such an option. It's been requested, but staff hasn't been interested. ILTt was a huge many-year effort just to get them to mark official LT-Author reviews.

Author spam:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/325655
https://www.librarything.com/topic/325656
https://www.librarything.com/topic/325657
https://www.librarything.com/topic/325658

https://www.librarything.com/profile/Nancynilsonbooks (message left)

>107 lilithcat: oops. She got suspended...

>109 Collectorator: That's odd. Normally I'd expect the members with that title to be shady and repetitive. Not so here. A sample shows legitimate catalogs and members.

I've marked it for a vote, but am not myself sure that it is spam.

This is bad Amazon data that members have not corrected.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=MercatusNewProduct&i=stripbooks-intl-ship&ref...

>109 Collectorator: Rates right up there with {Black Hole Work}, https://www.librarything.com/work/12467716

Bwahahahaha Spammer hit the spam reporting thread

>117 gilroy:

It's not the first time.

>118 lilithcat: Oh I know. I just laugh at the stupidity each and every time.

This user was already removed, but their spam post from 2 years ago remains: https://www.librarything.com/topic/138715#6661045

https://www.librarything.com/topic/325880#

Never mind, it's already gone

https://www.librarything.com/profile/MasonStewart

This clown is on a spree!

Please give us a link to the spam.

>123 MarthaJeanne:

I found one spot where he posted, but the post is gone.

Author spam

http://www.librarything.com/topic/325892#7302759

http://www.librarything.com/profile/Amy_L_Bernstein

I'll leave a message.

>125 2wonderY: There's also some inappropriate garbage mentioning her book in two of her reviews of other works.

https://www.librarything.com/work/23821797
https://www.librarything.com/work/15442190

>126 2wonderY:

Well, that's tacky!

I flagged this profile a few days ago; and it should have disappeared. Wondering why it hasn't.

http://www.librarything.com/profile/hamsaheaven

>129 2wonderY: Gone now

https://www.librarything.com/topic/314659#7305157

Already gone.

This is new to me - spam embedded in the default title and DDC for American Gods:
https://www.librarything.com/work/2280068/workdetails/1309122
If there's a way I can fix this, it's not apparent to me.

>132 hipdeep: They put the spam link in the Canonical DDC/MDS CK field, and added a spam event in the important events field.

https://www.librarything.com/profile/rodaslot

ETA: And they replaced the last words with a spam link!

Author spam

https://www.librarything.com/topic/112474#7307549

(https://www.librarything.com/profile/edkitsos)

Author spam. I've left a message.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/326208
https://www.librarything.com/profile/CoachEkong1

Publisher spam

https://www.librarything.com/groups/nandrascorner
https://www.librarything.com/topic/326443

(https://www.librarything.com/profile/NandraPublishingLLC)

https://www.librarything.com/topic/326632
Author Spam.

>141 gilroy:

https://www.librarything.com/profile/LeonStevens

Looks like he's been warned before.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/316002#7328151
Author Spam

https://www.librarything.com/profile/hanque99
(Was warned once before back in 2018)

https://www.librarything.com/topic/314834#7329011 includes a link to a choir robe website.

Gone.

Enthusiastic author: http://www.librarything.com/topic/326881

http://www.librarything.com/profile/tony-bryan

>147 lilithcat: That was fast.

Overlooked stale spam from an already-removed account: https://www.librarything.com/topic/119842#6461131

https://www.librarything.com/profile/CallumWaters
https://www.librarything.com/topic/326959#7337617
https://www.librarything.com/topic/321382#n7337606

https://www.librarything.com/topic/327153

gone

Spam work

http://www.librarything.com/work/25815125

>152 2wonderY: The private member who entered it gave it 5 stars.

Right. That member has been removed. It wasn’t listed as a private member before that. Wondering if that’s an oddity of system changes.

Author recommending her books multiple times in this thread, starting here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/327261#7351127

>156 Marissa_Doyle:

Flagged, and I left a message on her profile.

>156 Marissa_Doyle: >157 lilithcat: I already dropped an email to staff. Enthusiastic author that I've seen elsewhere.

For future reference, not for present flagging:

This was Lgood67334

>159 MarthaJeanne: She's been around since 2012, but doing the author thing for almost a year, possibly two. She has notes about the ER program on her profile...

Member removed (https://www.librarything.com/topic/327192#7341766)

Back with new member name and the same messages
https://www.librarything.com/profile/Atefeh.Momeni

https://www.librarything.com/topic/327571
https://www.librarything.com/topic/327570

>163 MarthaJeanne:

And more:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/327599
http://www.librarything.com/topic/327598
http://www.librarything.com/topic/327597
http://www.librarything.com/topic/327596
http://www.librarything.com/topic/327595
http://www.librarything.com/topic/327594

http://www.librarything.com/topic/233573

http://www.librarything.com/topic/327602

Another:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/327599#n7353802

>165 Taphophile13:

Yes, reported in >164 lilithcat:

>166 lilithcat: Sorry. So many it's hard to keep track.

I think nothing will help except flagging the profile.

>168 MarthaJeanne: Agree and done.

For some strange reason he’s still there.

This profile seems to be a year old, maybe that's why.

Well, at least several topics are gone.

You wouldn’t think so. One member made a campaign of cleaning out old spam accounts.

>172 2wonderY: It's not obvious spam; it looks like just an ordinary account with nothing catalogued yet.

>173 karenb: it shouldn’t matter. The profile has been flagged by multiple members after a flurry of Spam postings.

>173 karenb: Yes, the profile itself was a year old, dead and unused, and not obvious spam.
But if you follow what they do now, it now qualifies as spam and needs to go.

Group created to drive traffic to his website:

http://www.librarything.com/groups/yogabooks
http://www.librarything.com/profile/Thirunavukkarasu.S

>176 lilithcat: Enthusiastic Author?

>177 gilroy:

Could be, though he describes himself as a blogger.

>173 karenb: >174 2wonderY:
Was merely explaining why it wasn't flagged as spam back when the account was made, in response to >172 2wonderY:

Ah, gotcha. And I wasn’t faulting you at all; just wondering why this one is hanging around after having been flagged. Usually that only happens if they’ve added a book. Perhaps joining groups offers the same protection.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/327709#unread

Enthusiastic Author

Author is https://www.librarything.com/profile/Susanrichinsbooks

Also https://www.librarything.com/topic/327710#n7355709

>163 MarthaJeanne: Still at it.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/327707#unread
https://www.librarything.com/topic/327706

Here’s a new spam account that joined a group. Let’s see if flagging takes it down or doesn’t.

https://www.librarything.com/profile/GreeStudio

>184 2wonderY: Gone.

Shoots my theory at >180 2wonderY: down.

>183 MarthaJeanne: Now spamming my profile.

Enthusiastic author:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/327770
http://www.librarything.com/topic/327769
http://www.librarything.com/topic/327768
http://www.librarything.com/topic/327767

http://www.librarything.com/profile/Theresamillerbooks (message left)

Group directing to member’s outside website

https://www.librarything.com/groups/extradesdetucasa

Member: EiderRuiz

>189 2wonderY: About me on his profile says

Books like Rich Dad and Poor Dad have changed my mind. I am currently rereading the Money Code.
Thanks to these readings I write a blog to learn how to earn money on the Internet

Author recommending his own book, but without a touchstone don’t know if it fits the Thread

https://www.librarything.com/topic/327306#7353038

You'd think he'd be smart enough to enter his own book, wouldn't you?

He's been here over a year. He should know better

https://www.librarything.com/topic/327782

Enthusiastic author still needs a few more flags. Profile already been noted by a few others.

This one bears watching, I think: https://www.librarything.com/topic/326574#7358584. Joined today, no books in profile.

I flagged the post. It doesn’t belong in that thread.

Here’s The profile: https://www.librarything.com/profile/tomweber

Not flagging that yet.

>195 haydninvienna: he’s so innocently driving traffic to Pixetic, a new web design group in Lviv, Ukraine.

>195 haydninvienna: Looks to me like straightforward commercial spam.

Spam group: https://www.librarything.com/groups/startupaccountants
profile: https://www.librarything.com/profile/nelson349

>199 FAMeulstee: Member is gone.

>200 MarthaJeanne: Group is also gone.

>1 lilithcat: Is it time to continue this topic in Thread #73?

I found 3 spam messages, there might be more, by html5 (joined today)

https://www.librarything.com/topic/327888#7372244
https://www.librarything.com/topic/325745#7372247 (gone)
https://www.librarything.com/topic/315864#7372246

>203 FAMeulstee: spammer is https://www.librarything.com/profile/html5

and gone.

Gone!

And time for a new thread.