Suggestion: Automatically Find Multiple Accounts

[Eric.]

I am not sure if this has been discussed here or not, but one huge issue I am having is multiple user accounts on my forums. The IP tools under the Admin CP make it easier to search for multiple accounts based on IP addresses using wildcards - But I would love to see a way to implement a "Possible Multiple Account" task that runs and gives me some sort of notice/report, as currently unless you're really looking hard it is almost impossible to find multiple accounts (I usually get tipped off by other members.)

For example, if their IP address matches within a certain range, and registered email addresses match a certain number of characters, etc, I can get a weekly report of possible matches and investigate it further and take action.

What do others think of a system like this?

[blackfalcon]

The only problem with this is with the IP addresses. Matching a IP so many characters wont help. If your IP is 942.38.92
32 your neighbors probably wont be 942.38.92.31 or 942.38.92.33 it could easily be 36.946.83.26 so unless you match every digit, it wont work.

[Eric.]

The only problem with this is with the IP addresses. Matching a IP so many characters wont help. If your IP is 942.38.92

32 your neighbors probably wont be 942.38.92.31 or 942.38.92.33 it could easily be 36.946.83.26 so unless you match every digit, it wont work.

Sorry, I don't quite follow. If their IP is lets say 65.27.26.32, and it searches 65.27* and there are 3 additional accounts with similar email addresses, (IE, bigdude85@hotmail, bigman85@hotmail, etc) then I would say there is a strong possibility that they are duplicate accounts.

But no matter how it searches/what algorithm it uses I still think it would be a very useful feature.

[3DKiwi]

Why not install the duplicate IP mod? Works for me. You just have to be careful as I gather AOL customers can use the same IP address. You get a nice list of members with duplicate IP's. You then have the option to select them one by one and move them to another member group. I move the duplicates to the banned group and then mass prune the banned group.

One thing I do regularly is to delete inactive members. This clears out members who forgot their password and signed up a new password instead of doing a password recovery.

3DKiwi

[Eric.]

Thanks for the tip, do you happen to know if it is possible to run it as a task? If not, it is better than nadda! :)

[3DKiwi]

Sorry it doesn't run as a task. It really needs manual imput otherwise you'll end up deleting AOL customers.

3DKiwi

[Eric.]

Sorry it doesn't run as a task. It really needs manual imput otherwise you'll end up deleting AOL customers.

3DKiwi

Yep, which is why it would be nice to just get an emailed report or a notice in the APC or something. But thanks for the mod, it will work for now.

[3DKiwi]

It's something that IPS should give us some options. We should be able to prevent members signing up a new account when that IP address already has an account. We then get a pm or email advising us. We can then manually override. Other occasions occur from businesses where several staff want to be members and all have the same IP address.

3DKiwi

[henke37]

I can imagine it being helpful if the user was told that the email is already used when registering and the username that the user should use to login.

[blackfalcon]

Sorry, I don't quite follow. If their IP is lets say 65.27.26.32, and it searches 65.27* and there are 3 additional accounts with similar email addresses, (IE, bigdude85@hotmail, bigman85@hotmail, etc) then I would say there is a strong possibility that they are duplicate accounts.

But no matter how it searches/what algorithm it uses I still think it would be a very useful feature.

Two people can have two very close to identical IP addresses, however, that does not mean that they live close together. For example. my ip address is 74.75.127.76

My school, which is just down the road from me uses the IP address of
169.244.143.115


so searching a partial match of an Ip address, wont help you decide if they are duplicate accounts. Now, a feature that will provide a list of all accounts that have been registered on or have been logged on a ip address identical to another accounts would be useful, so you can see all accounts that share any ip with another account.

[blackfalcon]

Why not install the duplicate IP mod? Works for me. You just have to be careful as I gather AOL customers can use the same IP address. You get a nice list of members with duplicate IP's. You then have the option to select them one by one and move them to another member group. I move the duplicates to the banned group and then mass prune the banned group.

One thing I do regularly is to delete inactive members. This clears out members who forgot their password and signed up a new password instead of doing a password recovery.

3DKiwi

Maybe there could be a way to confirm a account that uses the same IP address as another, and another module to prune all accounts that are registered by the same IP, deleting all but one account per ip address, leaving only the oldest account, however, if you "confirm" an account, meaning that that member has permission to have another account for their family member, then it is immune to pruning.

[sunrisecc]

We must remember that not only AOL members must use proxies, others also do. In addition, we cannot forget about those members who are on dial-up or who do not have static IPs such as those who use the phone systems (ADSL). Bottom line - there are many people who do not have static IP addresses and any software check must allow for this sizable group.

[blackfalcon]

I just think that IP addresses are way to complex. Why cant they just be like street numbers? They always stay the same, and you cant hide it.

[Jaggi]

the ip isn't part of ips its something given to you by your isp. IPS simply log but have no control over your ip at all.