User:Jcps31/Spambot investigation
I am a private investigator, and was hired to investigate spambots and to find out who was responsible for them. This was done at the request of a client in South-West England. He won't be named here, for privacy reasons, but he asked me to disclose the information publicly. A spambot has been attacking various Wikimedia projects creating them in the form of Talk:PAGENAME/w/index.php - sometimes in Wikipedia/Wikiquote/books/news namespaces as well and related variants including:
- Talk:Main Page/ · activity log · [[Talk:Talk:Main Page/|talk page]]
- Talk:Main Page/w/index.php · activity log · [[Talk:Talk:Main Page/w/index.php|talk page]]
- Wikipedia talk:Board of Trustees/w/index.php/w/ · activity log · talk page
My research has discovered who is behind this. Apparently, it seems, members of well-known British girl bands have been creating these pages, from various computers.
From the girl groups:
- User talk:Magnus Manske/w/index.php · activity log
- Talk:Main Page/index.php · activity log
- Talk:Main Page/w/index.php · activity log
- Talk:Main Page/w/w/index.php · activity log
- Talk:Main Page/wiki/Talk:Main Page/w/index.php · activity log
- Talk:Main Page/wiki/Talk:Main Page/w/wiki/Talk:Main Page/wiki/Talk:Main Page/w/index.php · activity log
- Talk:Main Page/wiki/Talk:Main Page/w/wiki/Talk:Main Page/wiki/Talk:Main Page/w/wiki/Talk:Main Page/wiki/Talk:Main Page/w/wiki/Talk:Main Page/wiki/Talk:Main Page/w/index.php · activity log
- Talk:Main Page/wiki/Template talk:In the news/Archive 15/ · activity log
- Talk:Main Page/wiki/Wikipedia:Polling is not a substitute for discussion/ · activity log
- Talk:Main Page/wiki/Wikipedia:Polling is not a substitute for discussion/wiki/Talk:Main Page/wiki/Wikipedia:Polling is not a substitute for discussion/ · activity log
- Talk:Main Page/wiki/Wikipedia:Talk page guidelines/ · activity log
- Talk:Main Page/wiki/Wikipedia:Talk page guidelines/index.php · activity log
- Talk:Main Page/wiki/Wikipedia:Talk page guidelines/w/index.php · activity log
- Talk:Main Page/wiki/Wikipedia:Talk page guidelines/w/w/index.php · activity log
- User talk:Malcolm Farmer/w/index.php · activity log
- Talk:Malware/ · activity log
- Talk:Max Mayfield/index.php · activity log
- Talk:Max Robinson/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Miscellany for deletion/Help:Starting a new page/w/wiki/Help talk:Starting a new page/w/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Newgrounds bbs/w/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/W/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Phpbb/w/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/PhpBB/w/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Wikipedysta:Marmez/w/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Glavna stranica /w/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Pennfolenn/w/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Deletion reform/Proposals/w/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Featured topic candidates/w/wiki/Wikipedia talk:Featured topic candidates/w/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Laurent Banide · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Georg Michael Telemann · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/W/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Phpbb/w/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Pennfolenn/w/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Phpbb/w/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/W/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/W/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/W/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Magnus von Wedderkop · activity log
- Talk:Morality/ · activity log
- Talk:Multi-scale approaches/w/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Multilingual coordination/archives/ · activity log
- User talk:Mzajac/w/index.php · activity log
- Talk:New York World Journal Tribune/w/index.php · activity log
- Talk:North Carolina Progress Board/ · activity log
- Talk:North/w/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Noticeboard for India-related topics/Archive 8/w/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Notice board for India-related topics/Kerala/w/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Notice board for India-related topics/w/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Notice board for India-related topics/w/w/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Notice board for India-related topics/wiki/Wikipedia talk:Notice board for India-related topics/w/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Notice board for Pakistan-related topics/ · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Noticeboard for India-related topics/w/index.php · activity log
- Talk:Participatory action research/w/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Peer review/w/index.php · activity log
- Talk:Phorum/ · activity log
- Talk:Phorum/w/index.php · activity log
- Talk:Phorum/wiki/Talk:Phorum/ · activity log
- User talk:Pilaf/wiki/User talk:Pilaf/Live Preview/ · activity log
- User talk:Pilaf/wiki/User talk:Pilaf/Live Preview/w/index.php · activity log
- User talk:Pilaf/wiki/User talk:Pilaf/Live Preview/wiki/User talk:Pilaf/wiki/User talk:Pilaf/Live Preview/ · activity log
- Template talk:Politics of Sri Lanka/ · activity log
- Portal talk:Portugal/ · activity log
- Talk:POST/ · activity log
- Talk:Posting system/ · activity log
- Talk:Posting system/index.php · activity log
- Talk:Preview/ · activity log
- Template talk:Project missing articles/ · activity log
- User talk:Project2501a/w/index.php · activity log
- Category talk:Protected against spambots/w/index.php · activity log
- Talk:Q-tips/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Questions/w/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Reference desk/wiki/Wikipedia talk:Reference desk/ · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Regional notice boards/index.php · activity log
- Template talk:Reproductive physiology/ · activity log
- Template talk:Reproductive physiology/w/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Request for comments/wiki/Wikipedia talk:Requests for comment/Striver/ · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Requests for arbitration/Waldorf education/Review/w/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Requests for arbitration/Zeq/Workshop/w/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Requests for comment/w/w/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Requests for mediation/VBulletin/w/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Requests for mediation/wiki/Invision Power Board/ · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Requests for mediation/wiki/Invision Power Board/wiki/Wikipedia talk:Requests for mediation/wiki/Invision Power Board/ · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Reward board/ · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Reward board/w/index.php · activity log
- User talk:Rfrisbie/Archive/w/index.php · activity log
- Talk:Rick Santorum/w/w/index.php · activity log
- Talk:RMS Queen Mary/ · activity log
- Talk:ROOT/ · activity log
- Talk:ROOT/index.php · activity log
- Talk:ROOT/wiki/Talk:ROOT/index.php · activity log
- Talk:Ros Kelly/ · activity log
- Talk:Rugby League Tri-Nations/ · activity log
- User talk:Rydel/ · activity log
- Talk:Sandbox/ · activity log
- Talk:Scientific journal/ · activity log
- User talk:Sean/Talk/wiki/User talk:Sean/Talk/w/index.php · activity log
- Talk:Send/ · activity log
- Talk:Signboard/ · activity log
- Talk:Skateboarding trick/ · activity log
- Talk:Skateboarding trick/wiki/Talk:Skateboarding trick/ · activity log
- Talk:Skateboarding/ · activity log
- Talk:Skateboarding/wiki/Talk:Skateboarding/ · activity log
- User talk:Skysmith/w/index.php · activity log
- Talk:Snowboarding/ · activity log
- Talk:Spamdexing/ · activity log
- Template talk:Sri Lankan Conflict/ · activity log
- Talk:Smashing Orange/w/index.php · activity log
- Help talk:Starting a new page/w/index.php · activity log
- Help talk:Starting a new page/wiki/Montreal Forum/ · activity log
- Help talk:Starting a new page/wiki/National Heritage Board/ · activity log
- Help talk:Starting a new page/wiki/Talk:Main Page/ · activity log
- Help talk:Starting a new page/wiki/Talk:Main Page/index.php · activity log
- Talk:Sudoku/w/index.php · activity log
- User talk:SunStar Net/w/index.php · activity log
- Talk:Tabula rasa/ · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Talk page guidelines/w/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Talk page guidelines/wiki/Wikipedia talk:Talk page guidelines/ · activity log
- Help talk:Talk page/ · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Talk page/ · activity log
- Talk:Talk talk:Grandfather paradox/w/wiki/Talk:Grandfather paradox/w/index.php · activity log
- Talk:Talk/w/index.php · activity log
- Talk:Tea Board of India/ · activity log
- Talk:Template/ · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Templates for deletion/Log/Not deleted/August 2005/w/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Thailand-related topics notice board/Archive 1/ · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Thailand-related topics notice board/w/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:The Business and Economics Forum/ · activity log
- Talk:The Scream/ · activity log — Especially egregrous spambot target, deleted about 10 times
- Talk:The Scream/index.php · activity log
- Talk:The Scream/w/index.php · activity log
- Talk:The Space Merchants/index.php · activity log
- Talk:Topic-prominent language/ · activity log
- Talk:Total cost of ownership/ · activity log
- Template talk:Toyota cars/index.php · activity log
- Talk:Trackback/ · activity log
- Talk:Trackback/index.php · activity log
- Talk:TrackBack/ · activity log
- Talk:TrackBack/index.php · activity log
- Talk:Trans fat/w/index.php · activity log
- Talk:Transsexual/Archive 2/ · activity log
- Template talk:Tumors/ · activity log
- Talk:Unbibium/ · activity log
- Template talk:Urologicals/ · activity log
- Talk:User/w/index.php · activity log
- Talk:V sign/index.php · activity log
It also appears to have been done by contestants on British reality TV show "The X-Factor", and all the spammers appear to be female.
However, on en.wikipedia, the following spambot pages WERE NOT created by these people:
- en:w:Talk:Ford Focus/w/index.php - not by these people
- Talk:Obesity/w/Talk:Obesity/w/Talk:Obesity/w/Talk:Obesity/index.php - same source as above one.
The IP warned about this doesn't appear to have done any more pages, so we can assume they've stopped.
and all the Talk:Comparison of Internet forum software/w/index.php and variant pages were created, instead, by a group of students in the United Kingdom.
From the English Wikipedia:
- Wikipedia talk:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Pennfolenn/w/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Phpbb/w/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/W/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/W/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/W/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Magnus von Wedderkop · activity log
- Talk:Morality/ · activity log
- Talk:Multi-scale approaches/w/index.php · activity log
- Wikipedia talk:Multilingual coordination/archives/ · activity log
- User talk:Mzajac/w/index.php · activity log
- Talk:New York World Journal Tribune/w/index.php · activity log
- Talk:North Carolina Progress Board/ · activity log
- Talk:North/w/index.php · activity log
These pages were bot-created by another group of people, who appear to be using zombie computers, according to research.