Probably a dumb question, but I have to report pretty much the same post (some website-link + some mentioned usernames, but always sent from different instances) multiple times a day.

The weird thing is, that this happens only here in this community, and not in any else I have subscribed to.

Is this some targeted attack, because due to the self hosting, we’re a more valuable victims, or is it just due to time shift because the mods are in a different time zone and asleep when we report the posts?

I think the latter one isn’t the case, since there are many active moderators here :)

Is there something we can do about it?

  • Otter@lemmy.caEnglish
    8·
    9 months ago

    There was a post earlier today with an explainer on who is doing it: https://lemmy.ca/post/15935073

    I’m not sure why this particular instance was chosen, but from what I can tell the spammers are doing it for the memes anyways.

    The best you can do for now is to keep reporting them. What you can also do is see if there’s a pattern, such as one instance popping up more often than others. Chances are that instance has open signups or something, and lemmy.world (and everyone else) should defederate

    • Brunacho@scribe.disroot.orgEnglish
      2·
      9 months ago

      My guess is they get @'s from the federated timelines. If so it takes a follow or mention from the vulnerable attacked instance for the spamming bot to add it to the mentions they do. I don’t think they just decided to go against this community.