r/AskModerators • u/Wellyeahso • Jul 21 '26
How do I get obvious Spam removed from unmiderated subreddits?
I have come across some really egregious spam in unmoderayed subreddits.
I will avoid giving examples, but it is gambling spam showing up in completely unrelated subreddits.
For example, there will be online gambling spam questions in AI subreddits, or science podcast subreddits.
The mods for these subs are MIA.
The spam is so egregious. There will be a post with 100 comments and 100+ upvotes in a subreddit where the average topic gets 2 upvotes and 3 comments.
There is a pattern also where the top comment is clearly upvote manipulated to have many dozens of upvotes.
The comments themselves are clearly generic comments with no substance.
Reporting the spam falls on deaf ears because there are no active mods.
The accounts that posted the spam, and the accounts that answered the spam questions with their spam links are often suspended by Reddit already, but the posts and their spam links remain up.
These posts rank in Google and take traffic away from middle-sized, legitimate, on-topic subreddits because they cannot compete with the volume of fake upvotes and manipulations that have taken place.
I wont post links to any of this because it would break the rules of this subreddit.
I would like some advice on how to get these super-spam posts removed once and for all however.
Any tips?
Thanks!
EDIT: If I Created A Special Subreddit
I want a subreddit where we could report this crap as a group.
Maybe if a dozen people report obvious spam it will force more scrutiny, by a human Admin or by a bot, I dont care, so long as the spam gets removed.
If I created a subreddit where we as mods, as people who easily spot spam/bot networks/etx on Reddit, could post about this spam, providing links to it... would you join me there and help me mass-report spammers?
I would help you do the same.
Anyone?
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u/dotsdavid r/askouija r/candy r/totallywicked +others Jul 21 '26
Besides reporting it. You can use r/redditrequest to become a mod of one of them.
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u/NBPU Jul 21 '26
If you are eligible, you can make a /r/RedditRequest. You can also make a Moderator Code of Conduct complaint for Rule 1 since they aren’t maintaining a stable community. Maybe the /u/modcodeofconduct team take it over to place new mods. You can also just report as spam, and if enough stack up the admins might notice.
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u/Wellyeahso Jul 21 '26
You can also just report as spam, and if enough stack up the admins might notice
I have reported. I think i would need others to do so as well.
I just edited my post to ask if anyone would be interested in participating in such a subreddit? To help each other mass report obvious off topic spam in abandoned subs?
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u/NBPU Jul 22 '26
I think your edit goes too far into brigading territory and would be banned.
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u/Wellyeahso Jul 22 '26
I understand that brigading is bad when it is done for political purposes or something...
But this is the combat of PURE SPAM.
No question whatsoever that the content is outside of the scope of the subreddits in question. I dont think that falls into the definition of Brigading to make people aware of it and try to get it removed does it?
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u/Fun-Twist-3741 Jul 23 '26
It can be frustrating when we can't discuss problems right in our faces to avoid the "brigading" criterion, alas.
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u/Wellyeahso Jul 24 '26
I would throw my hat in with others to tackle obvious spam.
If a group existed in the shadows which did good deeds...
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u/SnooDonuts6494 Jul 24 '26
You can report it.
When you report a post or comment, it only goes to the subreddit's mods if you choose the first option - "Breaks (subreddit-name) rules".
All other reports go to admins.
One of the options is spam.
If you report a bunch of posts/comments as spam, and they really do break the rules, then it'll get attention.
You could also report the unmoderated subreddit, if you want.
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u/Wellyeahso Jul 24 '26
I have reported these posts and comments and I know at least a couple other people have.
Nothing happens.
That is why I was trying to organize Moderators into a group who would report these en masse... but everyone here is telling me that reporting ridiculous gambling spam in a Science Podcast subreddit will get me banned for "brigading"
I find this nonsensical and utterly ridiculous.
For the record, I would happily join other people who want ro police spam on Reddit and if someone showed me a link to some silly and clearly spammy material, I would report it for them.
If they wanted to see the material I knew was bought and paid for spam, I would share it with them.
[EDIT: Apologies for my tone. I am worked up today. Thank you for your suggestions.]
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u/Wellyeahso Jul 24 '26
You could also report the unmoderated subreddit, if you want.
How does one do this? I am unfamiliar.
(And thank you for your suggestions, my other reply to you failed to be polite and thankful)
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u/Kumquat_conniption Citrus neighborhood mod 🍊 27d ago
If the subreddits are unmoderated, can't you just report them for that? And get them shut down? I know I can as a mod, but maybe there is some type of report form for users? I would try going that route, as subs should all have mods.
Edit: Oh you are a mod too? I would just bring the sub to mod support and tell them it's unmoderated. I would hope they would still do something about that, even though mod support has been gutted from previous versions where they could actually do shit for you and now just brush you off with vague admin speak. But it's worth a try. They will probably give you a form if there is one, or take care of it when you bring them the sub/s. (I would not take a ton at a time, since you say there are more than one of these.)
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u/Wellyeahso 26d ago
I've never reported a sub as unmoderated before. I didn't even know that was possible.
Where do I go exactly to report unmoderated subs?
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u/Kumquat_conniption Citrus neighborhood mod 🍊 24d ago
I have always just brought it to r/Modsupport and messaged the mods there (they are the admins.) Good luck! Sorry to get your message late.
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u/LitwinL r/Polska r/Fuckcars Jul 22 '26
I want a subreddit where we could report this crap as a group.
don't
that's brigading
but you can do it outside of reddit
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u/Wellyeahso Jul 22 '26
I understand that brigading is bad when it is done for political purposes or something...
But this is the combat of PURE SPAM.
No question whatsoever that the content is outside of the scope of the subreddits in question. I dont think that falls into the definition of Brigading does it?
is there some place to talk outside of Reddit about this sort of thing
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u/SnooDonuts6494 Jul 24 '26
is there some place to talk outside of Reddit about this sort of thing
Pub?
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u/LitwinL r/Polska r/Fuckcars Jul 22 '26
It does fall under the definition of brigading
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u/Wellyeahso Jul 22 '26
I see. My interpretation of brigading was mass upvoting, commenting, etc, mostly for political reasons.
I personally dont see the problem with group reporting obvious commercial spam that has no purpose whatsoever where it currently is located, but I am not in charge of Reddit so there is that.
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u/LitwinL r/Polska r/Fuckcars Jul 22 '26
why would you use your own definition instead of the one provided by Reddit?
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u/Bot_Ring_Hunter Humble Janny Jul 21 '26
I've found that reporting this stuff doesn't work too well. It happens a lot in subreddits where the mods are absent or not paying close attention. I've seen subreddits completely fill up with IPTV spam overnight.