URLs inserted into new posts-possible phishing scam?

A couple of replies in this thread show inserted URLs, too:

https://cs.finescale.com/fsm/general_discussion/f/14/t/191519.aspx

I could be wrong, but those seem to be AI-generated replies to zombie threads.  The question appears to have been answered, but they're still offering "help" to the people in the thread.  It just looks like AI latched onto a few key words and made a robo-post.

Eaglecash867

I could be wrong, but those seem to be AI-generated replies to zombie threads.  The question appears to have been answered, but they're still offering "help" to the people in the thread.  It just looks like AI latched onto a few key words and made a robo-post.

 

Interesting you may be on to something- the posters are new members too.

I had to turn off all comments and forum posting capabilities in my website because I was tired of deleting all the garbage that was posted and needed curating.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We have a site where we moderate the posts and I have been noticing this. It's easier to catch the posts that are clearly unrelated to scale modeling that contain links. I'll take a reassess these to see if they seem like spam and bring this up to Tim as well. I avoid clicking on links and advise against clicking on any links that look suspicious. Thanks again!

Brad,

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. I saw your report yesterday took a look at it and am keeping an eye on things. There is something going on here, and I am taking it to our team at Firecrown. 

TK

This is another odd thread between two new members: New and in Hope of Help F100 Super Saber.
https://cs.finescale.com/fsm/general_discussion/f/14/t/193496.aspx

(interesting that you can't link to another FSM post from a different FSM forum post)

Here a new member is introducing themselves with a problem (dog damaged dad's model) & she hopes we can help her. There is no link in her post. Next, another new member responds quoting the OP's message, but now there is a link inserted in the quote. The interesting part of their exchange (to me) is the fairly long, normal, realistic list of things offered for the OP to try to solver her problem. If this was AI generated - Yikes!

Had no one brought up phishing, I don't think i would have had a second thought about this exchange - Apologies in advance to any real people this post may have contained!

They are almost certainly AI/Bot related. We'll keep a closer eye on new members coming in. If we see suspicious posts, like that, we'll nix them and ban the account.

Brad, please send me a link to those posts. I'll nab them and the accounts.

JoeSMG

Here a new member is introducing themselves with a problem (dog damaged dad's model) & she hopes we can help her. There is no link in her post. Next, another new member responds quoting the OP's message, but now there is a link inserted in the quote. The interesting part of their exchange (to me) is the fairly long, normal, realistic list of things offered for the OP to try to solver her problem. If this was AI generated - Yikes!

Yup.  That's what AI does.  It probably has been learning from responses on this and other web-sites related to modeling and using that as part of the phishing campaign.  One thing it's not really all that great at is remembering responses to it for any length of time, and it has no concept of time.

Seems to be the season for this kind of thing.  I got no less than 3 voicemails in the last 2 days, all from different companies and phone numbers, telling me I owed back taxes and that they can give me tax relief if I call them back.  I think that's an AI thing too...not great at keeping track of who has already been contacted before it changes its phone number and recorded message.

When I checked my  post, I didn't see a url posted in my post. Perhaps my ad blocker hides it?

I posted that a little while ago, maybe two weeks.

Tim Kidwell

Brad, please send me a link to those posts. I'll nab them and the accounts.

Rob Gronovius

When I checked my  post, I didn't see a url posted in my post. Perhaps my ad blocker hides it?

I posted that a little while ago, maybe two weeks.

I never open links or images on open media.

Bill

the Baron

 

 

Tim Kidwell

Brad, please send me a link to those posts. I'll nab them and the accounts.

 

 

 

 

Hi, Tim, here is the URL for the thread containing the posts in my original comment above:

 

https://cs.finescale.com/fsm/general_discussion/f/9/t/193465.aspx

 

Thanks, Brad. They've been cast into the void.

the Baron

 

 

Rob Gronovius

When I checked my  post, I didn't see a url posted in my post. Perhaps my ad blocker hides it?

I posted that a little while ago, maybe two weeks.

 

 

 

 

Hi, Rob, I don't think you'll see it in your post, that is, I don't think it's in your post.  I think that the links get inserted when the post is quoted or someone replies.

 

Hi Rob,

It was definitely not you. It was a sneaky bit of SPAM (probably AI) that got through moderation. They've been wrapped up and sent out the airlock.

TK