Permanently Banning Users

[gowilkes]

My site is entirely focused on the local market, and received an average of 45,000 unique visitors a week. The site is free to use, and because of the traffic we couldn't possibly try to verify the identity of each user that signs up.

On a very rare occasion, I will need to ban someone. These are either scammers or persistent troublemakers (like impersonating real people) that I believe have no purpose on the site other than to cause harm. To date, I've banned a total of 12 people.

The methods I've used to ban are:

1. Removing the username and password;

2. Blocking the IP address; and

3. Setting a cookie that let's the system know that this computer is banned.


Removing the username doesn't really ban them, it just stops them for the moment. They could easily create a new username, at which point I would have to move on to Step 2 or 3.

The problem I'm having is that someone caught on to Step 2 and 3, and has passed it along to other troublemakers. So, when they get blocked, they know that all they have to do is change their IP and clear their cookies. And since the ISPs are mainly local, I can't ban an entire block of IPs without banning hundreds (or thousands) of good users, too.

Have you guys come up with any other ways to ban someone? If it matters, the site is written in PHP and Perl.

[chadhaajay]

In my knowledge, it is not possible to permanently ban a user via scripts because you never know when that user signs up from another location as a new user.

Sincerely,

Ajay Chadha (Director)
Chadha Software Technologies

[tamecrow]

That's the nature of the internet, I'm afraid. All you can do is what you're already doing. It's not foolproof, but it's as good as it gets.

[Tim_Myth]

Contact the ISP. Report the IP address and time of infraction as harrassment. After a few of these monkeys have their internet disconnected, they'll slow down.

If they are scammers, contact the police with information about their scam. Once they see a couple of their buddies go to jail, they'll be a lot less likely to keep scamming people. If the police don't like helping, contact the FBI. They don't take kindly to wire fraud.

[kgun]

Originally Posted by chadhaajay

In my knowledge, it is not possible to permanently ban a user via scripts because you never know when that user signs up from another location as a new user. Not good for the company. Time is powers worst enemy, as long as you survive.

Sincerely,

Ajay Chadha (Director)
Chadha Software Technologies

Yes, you can set up an informal extranet (Rated with 5 stars. Thank you WPW).


I am sorry to say this. I have had my worst experience with US sites / companies.


Here are some of my experiences:

1. A company for the USA that would pays USD 200 to advertise on my site. They promised to pay via PayPal. They got a minisite. Do you think I saw any payment? It was a site with Google TP Rank 6. I am 99 % sure that it was a US company. Now I will always require payment in advance to advertise on my sites or use affiliates ad.
2. Another big US company and that is a US company, that say that I had earned USD 75. Some months ago and so long I have seen no payment.
3. Bought hotel in Ukraine via a US company. The site is still online. When I came to Ukraine, there were no Hotel there. Fortunately I had the telephone number to my credit card provider on my mobile phone, in my pocket book and a third place, so I called them. Just before the USD 80 account on the phone card was empty, the operator said that the card would be blocked and a new card would be sent to me. That cost me at lest USD 500 in telephone costs, taxi and a luxus apartment that I had to take since I was tired (estimated USD 800 inconvenience loss).
4. If you have time, read the short story on the first page in my signature. Today, my son studying law told me about a negative story of Dun & Bradstreet that is published in a news paper. As long as you survive, time is powers worst enemy.

Conclusion: After these experiences, I adhere to the Opera

Security principle: Don't trust anybody on the internet.

My modified principle: Don't trust anybody on the internet until the opposite is proved.

[subhzash]

You can create or frame the scripts that can not allow some words which are deviating your useful users. This is only suggestion possible

[Dinghus]

kgun, you bought a HOTEL over the internet sight unseen? You seem to have believe in learning your lessons the hard way. I have a bridge to Hawai'i you can buy.

Anyway, one technique that nobody mentioned is to require email verification when a person signs up. Then you can ban the email address. Yes, they can go out and get a new one, but getting new email addresses is time consuming and eventually they get tired of getting new ones.

Along with this, do not allow signups from free emails like hotmail, gmail etc. That may cost you a whole lotta people tho.

[kgun]

Hotel room, but ended up with an appartment