Contact Us Page - Is this spam?

Hi, Just wondering if anyone can give me some advice or let me know if you've had a similar issue. I launched a zen store this week and am receiving the occassional email through my Contact Us page that look like the following.

From: chadrxtalqp
Email: [email protected]

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TRX9H1 mjspjlricpsb, htjxzjfukbjj,
meymzjgbetws, http://oscdxfehxnqh.com/

---

After googling the IP addresses (194.165.42.59, 94.102.60.182) I discovered it is indeed spam. Is there any way to prevent this kind of spam being sent through my Contact Page? I'm aware of the CAPTCHA mod, but I found posts on the web stating that this specific spammer bypasses basic validation, captchas etc.

I received the same crap from this animal. I just put his IP range in a deny in my .htaccess

If you have a minute, do you mind explaining how to do that?

Glad to. Bear in mind that I'm just a designer with "some" light scripting, programming skills. I got this through research on this forum and Google. It does work though because I was getting these punks trying to hack my database. Most of them were coming from China so I blocked most if not all the IP addresses from there. Ok here goes:

Open your .htaccess file and do this:

order allow,deny
allow from all
Deny from 140.116.200
Deny from 38.103.63
Deny from 222.184

The IP addesses that have only 2 or 3 octets (numbers between/among the dots) are a range. For example, if the logged IP address is 140.116.200.128 and you exclude the 128 then everything that falls w/in that range is blocked.

Hope that helps.

I forgot to mention that if you want to test it, put your own IP address in there and try to access your site via your browser. You should be blocked.

Install Captcha, is still the best way IMO....

http://www.zen-cart.com/index.php?main_page=contrib_search_result&search_in_description=1&keyword=captcha

I use CAPTCHA using TTF & GD & Telephone Not Required on Signup, store has been up almost a year and have so far never had a spam email like yours here :)

You're absolutely right! Captcha is great but if you're going to install this stuff you really need to know what you're doing because the documentation that comes with it is very weak at best.

I beg to disagree, I cannot speak for the other ones but the one I installed requires only a few simple edits and installing a sql patch...the documentation was quite fine in my humble opinion (when I first installed it I had NO idea what I was doing LOL) and there is also an extensive support thread for it, not to mention a bucketload of ppl on this forum who are only too willing to help out newbies for most everything.

Locking out IP addresses is far too often hit and miss due to IP's changing and ppl using proxy methods....just my meager 2 cents again lol

christon26:

there is also an extensive support thread for it

Can you tell me where this extinsive thread is located? I couldn't find it for this particular mod/add-on.

I used the zen cart manual which is how I was able to install and configure my carts, but mods/add-ons are another story of their own.

Thanks

http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=59539

That's for the original captcha mod I have installed, the mod I have is that one plus another mod combined :)

Ok, thanks. The problem i'm having is that it only works on my contact us page and that's it. It works fine though, but just that page only.

assuming you have installed all the files needed , including SQL patches ???

then in admin section you can enable other pages under captcha ... you can also change the file format of image, fonts size , chars , etc..

hope that helps

Hi,

We just uploaded a new contribution/add-on that you might want to consider. You can find the Form Armor Module for Zen Cart at:

http://www.zen-cart.com/index.php?main_page=product_contrib_info&cPath=40_47&products_id=1202

Form Armor is a hosted subscription service that protects Web site forms against spam and abuse without requiring CAPTCHA images, math puzzles or other user tests. (Basically, we help your Web site forms look like regular forms again, but without the spam hassles.)

Thanks to DrByte and the rest of the Zen Cart Team, the module makes it super easy to use the Form Armor service with the Contact Us form and Tell-a-Friend form in your ZC shop.

If you'd like to give it a try, you can learn more and set up an account at https://www.formarmor.com/zencart/. There is a $9/month subscription fee for the service, and a portion of your monthly fee goes straight back to support the Zen Cart project. We also have a 100% satisfaction guarantee, so if you try it and then decide it's not right for you, just let us know in the first 30 days and we'll refund your subscription.

I'll also add that I agree with christon26, that locking out IP addresses can be really hit or miss and you can easily and accidentally lock out potential customers, too. :yuck:

If you have questions let me know and I'll be glad to help where I can. Thanks!

FormArmor:

Hi,
Form Armor is a hosted subscription service that protects Web site forms against spam and abuse without requiring CAPTCHA images, math puzzles or other user tests.

Interesting. All this data goes to another server first.

FormArmor:

I'll also add that I agree with christon26, that locking out IP addresses can be really hit or miss and you can easily and accidentally lock out potential customers, too.

This isn't an issue if you're trying to block out an entire country's reserved IP addresses / range.

I recently also started receiving some of these kinds of spam emails to my customer service email. What I'd like to know, is some of you mention getting the IP address and blocking it - I know how to block in htaccess, but I don't know how to get the IP address for the email - the headers I am receiving do not have this information in it.

How are you doing this? Thanks....