"Sponsored LINK, MB, ARTICLE" spam email acting as blackhat inducement

1. 90

   Will Apseposted 5 years ago

   Got the following email asking me to provide a link on one of my articles:
   
   "Sponsored LINK, MB, ARTICLE
   Inbox
   x
   
   Debora Willson (via HubPages) via amazonses.com
   1:45 AM (8 hours ago)
   to me
   
   Debora Willson (debora.willson95@gmail.com) DEBwill on HubPages
   has sent you this message.
   (email address verified)
   
   Hello,
   
   I like your works! Really fantastic! Good job!
   
   I have one question - could you post our link or anchor in your article, review or under you picture, in the description?
   
   I would like to know the price for such cooperation!
   
   We are interested in do-follow link
   
   Thank You,"
   
   Might be worth warning writers that this is a practice that really upsets Google.

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   1. 59

      paradigmsearchposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      I also got that email. It got hesitancy, but deleted it.
      
      On the one hand, no wonder I deleted that option on my profile. On the other hand I've recently restored it. The reason I deleted that option I don't even remember, think it had to do with something Q&A. At any rate, option restored for awhile. But I'm probably going to kill it again, don't know when.

      replyreport
2. 97

   CYong74posted 5 years ago

   I received something similar a while back. Sender kept pestering me till I told her no way in hell the editors would tolerate a link of that sort. Radio silence there after.

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   1. 90

      Will Apseposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      Maybe I should have played along a little to find out what kinds of link and which domains are involved. There are probably many hubbers who do not understand the consequences of paid links.
      
      For all we know the site is littered with them.

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         TIMETRAVELER2posted 5 years agoin reply to this

         You might want to pass this on to the team so that they can investigate this possibility and rid the site of such links, if possible.

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      2. 88

         lobobrandonposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         I got the same and I think she got us through Dengarden. I ignored it. I will play along now to find out the website in question so that the team can find any link to it and get it out.

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      3. 96

         wildernessposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         It may be.  I agreed to such a link some years ago, for a price and for one year.  It's long gone, but nothing says others aren't doing it as well.

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3. 88

   lobobrandonposted 5 years ago

   I just sent this:
   
   Good morning.
   
   You did not specify which article you are referring to and which website you want a link to. I am hesitating to point a link to a site unless it is a good website. Also, how much are you willing to pay?
   
   Regards
   
   Seems natural enough to be from a hubber who does not know about linking building practices like this?

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      Will Apseposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      I reported the HP profile immediately so, if it is the same person, you might be too late.
      
      But good luck 003.5, lol.

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         lobobrandonposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         Haha.

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4. 97

   CYong74posted 5 years ago

   Earlier in the week, I came across some lame backlinking guide that stated HP to be a good Social Media backlink.
   
   I presume other SEO "experts" read similar and began working to get their clients a link with us.

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   1. 90

      Will Apseposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      It was true ten years ago. That is one of the problems with many SEO sites. Out of date...

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   2. 88

      MizBejabbersposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      I don't know about this. I've found links in my hubs that have appeared mysteriously. I got an email from HP team that said they'd removed some links in one of my hubs. That was fine with me except that it sounded like they were accusing me of putting them in. Nothing could be farther from the truth. When I contacted them about it, they said they don't put in links and insinuated that it had to be me.  That kind of torched me.

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      1. 88

         lobobrandonposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         Yeah, it had to be you or someone who has access to your account. It could have been a link you added a long time ago that now led to a dead page. If a link is removed it does not necessarily mean it was spammy.

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            MizBejabbersposted 5 years agoin reply to this

            NO! Lobobrandon. I do not put links to various and words that have no logical links like "students," the phrase "cardboard signs" and other nonsensical places like that.When I add a link it is to something relevant, and when I see or I'm notified that one of those links is broken, I fix it! And if If anybody has access to my account it is a hacker. My husband doesn't even have access to my account. It really bugs me when people don't believe me. I'm not some idiot kid who thinks it's fun to add nonsensical links. I am a serious writer who is not being taken seriously, and it pisses me off.

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               Will Apseposted 5 years agoin reply to this

               Do you know which domains the links were aimed at?

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                  MizBejabbersposted 5 years agoin reply to this

                  Not those in particular because HP removed them (thankfully). I am going to have to go back through other hubs to see if there are more. Those removed by HP were in my Sockhop hub. They were nonsensical and went nowhere. That subject alone could attract a nut kid hacker.

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                     Will Apseposted 5 years agoin reply to this

                     Might be worth taking a note of link URLs if you find any more. Probably the easiest way to work out what they are doing there.

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                        MizBejabbersposted 5 years agoin reply to this

                        Good idea.

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5. 95

   PaulGoodman67posted 5 years ago

   Is someone selling black hats? I need some new head wear to keep my ears warm.

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   1. 90

      Will Apseposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      I reckon that head needs all the help it can get, too, lol. I grew my hair long in London as the snow beat down.
      
      On a slightly more serious note, don't HP have some kind of filter for emails? I seem to remember they filter out abusive comments. Maybe they should add "link" to the forbidden words list, or at least "sponsored link" and "paid link".

      replyreport
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         lobobrandonposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         Yeah, that would be good.
         
         HP is still a good source of links, the niche sites are pretty strong.

         replyreport
   2. 91

      Natalie Frankposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      Ha! Though you might be safer with white hats!

      replyreport
6. 94

   Lovelli Fuadposted 5 years ago

   I get those kinds of messages in the comment, and there's quite plenty of them. The first line is usually a very generic praise for the article (great article! Nice!) followed by a link to a website.
   
   Some are just a url and no comment at all!
   
   At first I never thought much of it, but now I'm convinced the persons were just commenting on my articles in the hope that I would pass their links in my article. Because it's pretty obvious their comment would not get through for being spammy (containing links to outside articles).

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7. 90

   Will Apseposted 5 years ago

   DebWill is still alive and well.
   
   https://hubpages.com/@debwill

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8. 59

   paradigmsearchposted 5 years ago

   To spam? Or not to spam? That is the question.

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9. 59

   paradigmsearchposted 5 years ago

   He who spams last, spams least.
   
   A spam in time, saves nine.

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