PPClassifieds becoming a spam bucket

[memobug]

I am getting some emails from my PPClassifieds sellers reporting that they are receiving the Nigerian Widow Scam spams through Contact Seller option included in Photopost Classifieds version 1.8c. Obviously, this is bad for me, my users and Photopost.

Is there a method I can use to limit the "Contact Seller" option to only the registered users?

Since there is currently an option for this:
>Require users to be registered to view images?

It stands to reason there should be another one like this:
>Require users to be registered to Contact Seller?

Regards,

Matt

[memobug]

What I have done in the meantime to trap unregistered users who attempt to contact

1. open the language file contact.php (in languages/english)
add right at the end

Content visible to verified customers only.

2. open the actual contact.php code, around line 42 you see

Content visible to verified customers only.

comment out the last line and change it to the following:

Content visible to verified customers only.

Now test it. If you're logged in, you should be able to initate a contact email. If you are not logged in, you should see the Must Register message.

Regards,

Matt

[memobug]

For what it's worth, here is a copy of the type of spam that was propagated through the classifieds contact form. Probably, this is a robot, so this is likely the tip of an iceberg (spamberg)?

Subject: FWD: A message about your ad on domainname.com

>===== Original Message From gladysk2004@yahoo.se =====
gladysk2004@yahoo.se
Madam Gladys Kabila
Introduction.
+225-07-11-26-82

My Dear,

PLEASE REPLY ME WITH THIS PRIVATE:gladysk2004@yahoo.se


It is my pleasure to contact you for a business venture which I and my Son
Mack,intend to establish in your country.

Though I have not meet with you before but I believe,one has to risk
confidence in other to succeed sometimes in life.There is this huge amount of
Eigtheen million U.S dollars($18,000,000.00) which my late Husband kept for us
in a Security Company in Abidjan before he was assasinated by unknown
persons.Now I and my son have decided to invest these money in your country or
anywhere safe enough outside Africa for security and political reasons.We want
you to help us claim and retrieve these fund from the Fiduciary Fund Holders
and transfer it into your personal account in your country for investment
purposes on these areas:

1). Telecommunication
2). the transport industry
3). Five star hotel

If you can be of an assistance to us we will be pleased to offer to you 10% Of
the total fund

PLEASE REPLY ME WITH THIS PRIVATE EMAIL: gladysk2004@yahoo.se

I await your soonest response

Respectfully yours,

Mrs. Gladys Kabila

[Michael P]

I'm using a similiar layout for the next update (1.9) which will allow this to be optional.

[BobHarbison]

If anyone here is using PHP Nuke be aware that the e-mail portion of it can also be hacked, and the same Nigerian scammers know that. They recently hacked a server I maintain and were sending out thousands of those things. It gets real nasty really quickly, and apparently by law your ISP is required to shut you down if your server continues to sends them out.

This is indirectly related to photopost, as some photopost forums also use a variation of PHP nuke.

[Lee Wilde]

Lowlife spammers. May the fleas of a thousand camels infest their armpits.