Topic: *WANTED* Multiple account list to prevent scammers (Read 880 times)
It can't be done. Many users have hundreds of users that would be "alts" because they've used a proxy:
Yes, I get that. But with 38000ish users, how often would this occur is sorta what I'd be interested in knowing. Even if someones IP was dynamic, it's still from the same subnet, and checking against subnets would increase the odds of similar IP's. But again, theres really not a vast amount of people which would lead to the same ip/block.
And yea, TOR would prob be the biggest pitfall of this idea.
*Edit: But people/scammers are still getting flagged for investigation by admins by using the same IP, so it'd flag careless ones.
And yea, TOR would prob be the biggest pitfall of this idea.
*Edit: But people/scammers are still getting flagged for investigation by admins by using the same IP, so it'd flag careless ones.
If such a system is implemented, scammers will just use different IP for every account (proxy servers, VPNs, TOR, etc), so they'll go undetected. Instead you'll just make life hard for honest people who happen to be using the same network.
Oh, and there is a much simpler way to get a new IP address for every account: in great many providers you get assigned a random new IP address each time you reconnect - so: disconnect, reconnect - and we have a nice, clean, new IP address. In fact most ISPs in at least parts of Central-Eastern Europe work like that, static IP is something you get only on expensive lines for companies.
Oh, and there is a much simpler way to get a new IP address for every account: in great many providers you get assigned a random new IP address each time you reconnect - so: disconnect, reconnect - and we have a nice, clean, new IP address. In fact most ISPs in at least parts of Central-Eastern Europe work like that, static IP is something you get only on expensive lines for companies.
Yes, no doubt your point accurate. But I wonder if there are really as many cases as you assume. I'm willing to bet that there really aren't that many common IP addresses shared on this forum. After all, there are only 38487 (at time of posting) members on this forum, and thats over the world...
Unless people use the same popular anonymizer/proxy, should be a relatively low amount?
Unless people use the same popular anonymizer/proxy, should be a relatively low amount?
Lots of people use TOR, there was a big fuss when theymos had blocked some node ip's and people couldnt get in.
Yes, no doubt your point accurate. But I wonder if there are really as many cases as you assume. I'm willing to bet that there really aren't that many common IP addresses shared on this forum. After all, there are only 38487 (at time of posting) members on this forum, and thats over the world...
Unless people use the same popular anonymizer/proxy, should be a relatively low amount?
Unless people use the same popular anonymizer/proxy, should be a relatively low amount?
In some places large networks, which can have hundreds of users, are behind NAT and show as the same IP (large companies, even residential flat buildings, etc), wait, and of course several flatmates, which might well be Bitcoin enthusiasts, will of course have the same IP.
Such a list is useless, if not harmful, as completely honest people will be seen as potential scammers, just because two of them use the same external IP, and they might not even know about each other.
Lets not do "Paypal style" security - they are the ones freezing accounts of random people, just because they had the "luck" to be given the same IP as some scammer used some time ago. Lots of innocent people lost Paypal accounts and got funds frozen just because of that. Its absurd, harmful, and just plain wrong.
Such a list is useless, if not harmful, as completely honest people will be seen as potential scammers, just because two of them use the same external IP, and they might not even know about each other.
Lets not do "Paypal style" security - they are the ones freezing accounts of random people, just because they had the "luck" to be given the same IP as some scammer used some time ago. Lots of innocent people lost Paypal accounts and got funds frozen just because of that. Its absurd, harmful, and just plain wrong.
Would it be too much to ask for the admins/mods run a script every so often checking for multiple users from the same IP address, and make that list available for potential traders to see? Since a lot of transactions on the forums are rep based, it has come to light that people with hundreds of posts could have alt accounts with a likewise similar number of posts, thus seeming like legit vouching.
I know such a list is not so cut and dry as to assume duplicate accounts under one IP = scammer, and that alternate rep systems could/should be used, but I bet it would disuade a lot of that malarky.
Just a (possibly useless) suggestion. Comments?
I know such a list is not so cut and dry as to assume duplicate accounts under one IP = scammer, and that alternate rep systems could/should be used, but I bet it would disuade a lot of that malarky.
Just a (possibly useless) suggestion. Comments?
Jump to: