Recent "gibberish" posts. What are they and how to (and why you should) report them

You've probably see many of these posts on the forums and wondered their purpose:


User uploaded file


These types of post are designed to drive position and validation to a scam site or scam in a web search engines results and leaving them alone or not responding does not prevent the scammer from obtaining the desired goal:

By posting this repeated garbage on legitimate sites someone looking for support may stumble on this scammer phone number in a higher ranked web search result and be inclined to think the result is more legitimate


The end result is someone who unknowingly contacts a phony support scam and is conned out of their money, or worse security.


The good news by using the tools on these forms anyone can report these threads using the "down caret" symbol next to the "Follow" button so the moderators know totake the posts down permanently.


With the post open click on the "down caret" icon.

User uploaded file


then select "Report Post"

User uploaded file



Under the "What is the primary reason..." select "Spam", then click the "Report Post" button.

User uploaded file


you've lent a hand to help prevent the biggest threat computers users have to date.

Now lets get out there and take back the internet!

Posted on Sep 22, 2016 6:53 AM

Reply
11 replies

Sep 22, 2016 12:29 PM in response to JimmyCMPIT

A human can "LOOK" at a post and quickly "decide"

A computer "filter" routine must "read" the post - and then "compare" whether the post "contains" something that is unacceptable - as defined by a "list" of unacceptable strings.

WHAT in your example could be put INTO the filter's list?
By themselves, each "snippet" string is harmless - only when all together does it meet the criterion of being "bad".

You cannot define the "all together" for a filter routine - ONE character difference does not "match"

It will continue to take humans doing the dirty work = REPORT SPAM with Prejudice

Sep 22, 2016 12:35 PM in response to ChitlinsCC

While that sounds responsible and the right thing to do,

I've found it tempting to take advantage of offers of free

coffee and donuts, in email messages, if I were to look

the other way and choose to help the (un)civil rights of

these persons bots? whose unfettered 'right' are subject

to compromise. After all, while it may be 'a free country'

we should get something out of it.


And right now, free coffee w/ hart-attack donuts sound OK.😝

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

Recent "gibberish" posts. What are they and how to (and why you should) report them

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.