Two Website (Suspicious?) Website Referrers?
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So ever since a week or so after I made my blog I’ve been getting referred by two websites whos URLs are fairly strange:
[spam URLs removed]
The amount of refers I get from them has increased over time and today (the day I typically post on) I’ve gotten the exact same amount of refers from each, 7 and 7. When I go to their websites it seems weird, the only thing I can think of where I could be referred from is a blog roll, but even then it would seem bizarre that I would get the exact same views from each seemingly different websites. So what’s this all about? Is it harmless?
The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)
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From today’s topics:
https://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic/strange-urls-in-my-referrer-list?replies=8 -
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These ‘referrers’ are heavily hitting my blog as well.
The number counts are becoming tedious and I suspect they are doing some sort of phishing. Maybe contacting WordPress and marking these sites as spammers will get rid of them. On the other hand, if .cz means the hits are coming from Czech Republic, it may be difficult. -
Response from staff:
Thanks for reporting this – we are aware of this problem and are working hard to find a solution to fix it.
Some background: what you’re experiencing is called “Referrer Spam”, and it’s an unfortunate side effect of the way statistics tracking works. Spammers take advantage of the referrer logs and visit your blog from phantom URLs that they are actually trying to promote, in the hope that you see them in your logs and click them.
In the meantime, you can rest assured that there is no security risk here, to you or to you blog. It’s just an annoyance, but one we will hopefully be able to get rid of very soon.
https://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic/tons-of-hits-from-spam-domain?replies=29#post-548475These spam referrers do not in any way affect your blog’s Google page ranking.
1. Do not click the links.
2. Do not post the URL or names of the site into forum threads.
3. Report all spam referrals to Staff directly when they are open on Maonday.
http://en.support.wordpress.com/contact/. -
I have been “not clicking” the spam referrers, of which I get far too many, for months now. I have never clicked on one. I have also made it a point to report spam referrers daily for some months, usually with a screen shot. At first, the reports were acknowledged, and I was encouraged to keep sending them. Since 7 March 2011, I have had no way of knowing if my reports are being used or if they have somehow gotten trashed. I generally get anywhere from one to ten spam referrers per day, and it is getting very tiresome.
I wonder how many other people are getting these things as regularly as I am and who are fed up with them? Let me know.
Our Happiness Engineers are good, hardworking people, but we need to have more progress in this difficult area.
It would be good if an e-mailed update on the problem were sent to all WordPress.com bloggers.
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EVERYONE is getting spam referrals. If you aren’t, it’s because the spammers have not yet discovered your blog.
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Hi I am getting absolutely bombed by the two sites that are mentioned earlier. And I have had a look at the wiki reference and it seems like what wordpress has to do is muck around a bit with the root directory in their themed blogs. Is there anything else that can be done?
I just hate spammers!
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Report them to staff via your dashboard Help button. You have to wait till tomorrow, as they’re closed right now.
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I have over 30 hits from the ones mentioned, there will probably be a new lot today, but knowing i am not going to EVER click on the links gives me some sense of pleasure watching the numbers rise, knowing that they are wasting their time, not mine.
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chenocetah, we’re still receiving and acting on your reports, sorry for the silence.
Given the rise in report volumes, we found that constantly responding was taking away from the time to implement filters and work on a more long-term solution, so we kind of fell behind on the replies.
Rest-assured, we see every report you submit.
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Happy not to get the responses macmanx. I report sometimes twice a day, so I’m happy for you just to spend the time fixing them!
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i’m not getting spam yet as raincoaster sain they have not discovered it , but its a thing we all have to live with and just ignore it
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I have also been getting spam referrers, e.g.
[spam URLs removed]
While I’d be happy with having a lot of traffic in my blog, however, this is just not the kind of traffic I’m looking for. And here I was thinking there were some who were appreciating my photos, lol.
Anyway, I hope spam referrers get stopped soon. :)
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By the way, which category should I click on to report these spam referrers? Thanks a lot. :D
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@thebranchclerk
Please, please always read the threads you post into. You posted links and advertised for the spammers which is exactly what they want. The directions are not to post them here but to report them to Staff http://en.support.wordpress.com/contact/.Response from staff:
Thanks for reporting this – we are aware of this problem and are working hard to find a solution to fix it.
Some background: what you’re experiencing is called “Referrer Spam”, and it’s an unfortunate side effect of the way statistics tracking works. Spammers take advantage of the referrer logs and visit your blog from phantom URLs that they are actually trying to promote, in the hope that you see them in your logs and click them.
In the meantime, you can rest assured that there is no security risk here, to you or to you blog. It’s just an annoyance, but one we will hopefully be able to get rid of very soon.
https://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic/tons-of-hits-from-spam-domain?replies=29#post-548475These spam referrers do not in any way affect your blog’s Google page ranking.
1. Do not click the links.
2. Do not post the URL or names of the site into forum threads.
3. Report all spam referrals to Staff directly when they are open on Monday.
http://en.support.wordpress.com/contact/.
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