xlsx corrupt?

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WBahn

Joined Mar 31, 2012
29,976
This has become a common spam model of late (it's not new, just being recycled).

One new member claims to have a corrupt file of some type and then, a few days later, another new member just happens to miraculously come along with a not-free solution.

On the off change that the TS is legit, we are leaving the thread open until their partner shows up. In particular, we are giving the TS the opportunity to confirm that they really are a human being and having trouble by responding with more information to their own thread. If they don't (which they haven't yet), then both parties get banned when the inevitable spam post shows up.

For everyone else out there -- don't bother responding and, above all else, don't be fooled by the solution that will be offered up in the next couple days. Just keep in mind that these people are intentionally trying to deceive their potential customers and ask yourself if that is the kind of people you want to enter into any kind of a business relationship with.
 

WBahn

Joined Mar 31, 2012
29,976
It's definitely spam. I wouldn't even wait.
While I agree that it is (almost) definitely spam, this IS the kind of question that is not out-of-character for a legitimate newbie to post. So it is with an eye toward erring on the side of not banning an innocent newbie that we have chosen this approach. Basically, the downside of not preemptively banning a spammer as early as possible is a lot more palatable than the downside of accidentally banning a new member making an honest inquiry.
 

WBahn

Joined Mar 31, 2012
29,976
Is that really how you think this is working? What is the purpose of doing it that way?
It's a marketing tactic that goes way, way back. Where I see it the most (because I don't watch TV or cable or such) is on radio when I'm driving. Some "show" (almost always it's actually a paid program-length advertisement) will have some caller that happens to ask just the right question so that the host can inform them that the perfect thing for them just happens to be what the are trying to sell.

So just like you have a class of spambot that registers as a new user at a site and posts blatant spam, you have another class of spam bot that registers as a new user at a site and posts a cry for help. At the same time, is schedules a script that will run a few days later and register as another new user (from someplace else so that the IP addresses don't match) who goes into the thread that was started and posts a timely solution, complete with link, to the OP's exact problem.

I actually imagine that it can be a pretty effective tactic, particularly compared to the earlier class of spambot.
 

spinnaker

Joined Oct 29, 2009
7,830
Oh OK I think I get it now. It makes the 2nd post seem like a legit link. It the "OP" posted the link then it would get noticed and deleted right away.
 
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