QUESTION:

Re:  Online Customer Registration: Why am I getting these garbage people?

From: StickyStreet <info@stickystreet.com>
Sent: Monday, May 18, 2009 8:26:37 PM
Subject: StickyStreet - Online Customer Registration

Online Customer Registration

The following customer has registered online for an account:

Campaign:	XXXXXXXXXX
Name:	        vdffzwlasig vdffzwlasig
Email Address:	jnesnf@zujcfy.com
Phone Number:	aZaAXuWtxt
Address:	bxXKQaaqljH
     oULlhsCYZCUrgaV
     LxkoldSQRzwqVuG, rcIJwTogeH PugaJKUn
     qPmPeFutvPpBdDIulR

Addt'l Info:	oimKoGmRCjZbTVR

ANSWER:

That "garbage" you're getting is the result of "bots" roving the web to try to usurp email-sending programs in order to send out spam. They typically fill-in the type of junk that you see, and then check if they were able to successfully subvert the sending system and get that email back. If so, they can then turn that site into a spam-sending center. Another type of junk you may receive is form-spam, usually touting "WoW Gold" (World of Warcraft monetary units that can be purchased on the "black market")

The sign-up forms cannot be usurped for sending spam, but they are still vulnerable to 'bots filling-in garbage and form-spam. The only way to mitigate this is to use a form of verification called "CAPTCHA" where your customers when signing-up have to identify a code in slightly distorted letters and numbers in a graphic. To implement such a system, you can forward the following support article to your web-design team that details one way to implement a CAPTCHA system:
http://support.stickystreet.com/forums/16257/entries/33091

Another way is to use/link the "option 1" enrollment form at our sub-site, RewardsPixie.com, in a new window:

http://www.rewardspixie.com/signup.php?a=AAAAA&b=BBBBB&c=CC...

as detailed in the following page of the StickyStreet site:

http://www.stickystreet.com/quickenroll.html

Either option should stem the amount of junk submissions you are getting, but these systems are smart and often employ AI-based programs that learn the nuances of CAPTCHA fields, and staying ahead of these abusers if not downright crooks is a constant cat-and-mouse game.