You’re Not Debo Hobo!
Watch the comments people leave on your blog, especially if you’re not using Akismet or some other comment spam-blocking utility.
Yesterday, I found a comment from Debo Hobo (who is looking for people to expose themselves on her blog) stuck in moderation on my “Grrr Thursday” post.
The first clue that something was amiss was that I’m pretty sure Deborah would recognize a dog when she sees one, and also that she is smart enough to realize that it is generally dogs, and not cats, that like bones or bone-shaped treats. Thus, “her” comment on the cat in the photo was the first indication that something was wrong.
The eMail is sneaky, as it is DeboHobo@…, and where it is @ is a popular free eMail service. So, at a quick glance, it looks like it could be legitimate (especially if you don’t remember your commentators eMail addresses) as many bloggers use free eMail services and utilize their names or blog names as the addressee.
Of course, the URL is where it becomes obvious, as the URL is not DeboHobo.com. Instead, it is a different site, and one with a foreign TLD to boot! I did not visit the site, so I have no idea what it actually is, but judging from the URL, it is not about travel or any of Deborah’s usual topics.
This is the second time such a thing has occurred. The last was a few weeks ago when someone was pretending to be Lewis Empire. Curiously, it arrived just a couple days after Lewis had began blogging again.
People impersonating other bloggers is nothing new, and spammers doing the same probably isn’t either. But, perhaps it is something becoming more widespread? I don’t know if they have some sort of script in place to try to impersonate people that normally comment on your blog, or if it is just random chance, as I do see a number of other spam comments from people I don’t know. But, typically, those are just individual names, and not something you’d recognize as a blog name, like Debo Hobo or Lewis Empire.
At any rate, it may be worth considering installing Akismet or some other comment spam-blocking utility if you’ve not done so already. And, be careful of any comments you personally moderate!
WOW I guess I should be flattered, I have an impersonator. NOT! I was not aware of this type of spam so I really appreciate this post and the heads up.
I wonder if a “Debo Hobo” will start commenting on your blog.
It happens to me once as well, someone impersonating as my top commentator, the comments looks normal, but the url is not…
I checked with him, and he’s not commenting that, I think the spammers are getting creative
The one posing as Lewis Empire had me wondering at first too. It seemed a reasonable comment, but the URL was wrong (and I checked the eMail and it was wrong too). Before I checked the eMail, I thought perhaps he might have started a new site and was trying to promote it. But, when the eMail didn’t check out, I figured it was spam.
That’s pretty weird-
I doubt anyone wants to pretend their me…
most bag ladies don’t have lap tops.
Of course if the $100 lap top thing really takes off
everyone will be hooked up and I’ll have to watch my back.
But that $100 laptop is up to $200. And with the dollar tanking, that’ll probably end up being $400.
Of course, if people really want a $100 laptop, eBay is probably their best bet!
I’ve seen a renegade Chris Bloczynski or two running around the blogosphere leaving comments while I was out of action with pneumonia… kinda cracked me up. Who would go to the trouble? The spam site they were linked to was an MP3 download site, and MP3’s aren’t really my bag.
The next generation of comment spammers will probably do a better job of matching commentators to the type of site they are trying to promote. For now, it’s rather hit and miss.
I never knew that could happen. I hope that it doesn’t take up much computer memory, or slows my computer down more. I have a very old computer, and I’m using dial up to save money. The old lady is slow as molasses as it is.
I’m not sure what you mean? What do you think will take up too much memory? If you’re talking about Akismet, that’s not going to affect your computer. You don’t install it on your computer; it’s a plug-in for a WordPress blog. And, since you don’t use WordPress…
[...] previously mentioned that spammers try to sneak in their links by posting comments under another user’s name. Such a sneaky way of trying to get their links in. But, it didn’t fool [...]