Topic: VPN Issues?

[Tony Bensley]

Recently, I've been trying different VPN entities for the first time in my 17 plus years of home internet usage!

The reason this matters is tonight, when I tried entering this site via the usual link in my email alert, I discovered my IP address (The recent VPN I was using?) had been permanently banned due to way too much spamming in "My Region" and this ban is set to not expire. I am now currently using my usual proper IP address, rather than the one in the Netherlands my Proton VPN had recently shifted to from a U.S. based one.

I hope this resolves any issues. My apologies to the MODS for whatever issues my recent VPN activity may have caused!

Any advice regarding how to avoid a repeat of this in the future would also be greatly appreciated.

CHEERS! 

[Dunrobin]

I hope this resolves any issues. My apologies to the MODS for whatever issues my recent VPN activity may have caused!

Any advice regarding how to avoid a repeat of this in the future would also be greatly appreciated.

The problem probably isn't related to anything YOU'VE done, Tony, other than the fact that you were using that particular VPN.  The problem is that we used to get buried under spammers creating dummy accounts just to post links, etc, to phising crap and other bad similar things on our site.  Several years ago I installed a Mod to the forum that blocks "bad behavior", and one of the things it does is maintain a list of VPNs and IP addresses that have been used by spammers in the past and automatically block them.  It sounds as though you got caught in it.

[Tony Bensley]

The problem probably isn't related to anything YOU'VE done, Tony, other than the fact that you were using that particular VPN.  The problem is that we used to get buried under spammers creating dummy accounts just to post links, etc, to phising crap and other bad similar things on our site.  Several years ago I installed a Mod to the forum that blocks "bad behavior", and one of the things it does is maintain a list of VPNs and IP addresses that have been used by spammers in the past and automatically block them.  It sounds as though you got caught in it.

Thanks, Rob. That does makes sense.

I can't stand spammers! FB Messenger is even rife with them, these days!!