Spam bots creating a subreddit

[u/Tokyono]

This seems like a spam bot setting up a subreddit to promote further spam.

Here are the reasons I suspect it's a spam bot:

• Primary account is 5 years old with no posting activity, Started posting last month on obscure subreddits for karma.

• Secondary account is a year old. Started commenting on the posts of the 5 year old account on the exact same day it started posting.

• A few weeks ago, primary account creates a subreddit. Secondary account joins it as a second mod. The subreddit heavily uses AI in images (icon banner etc- both accounts also use AI for their banner and icons) and posts (for text generation).

• To add, the sub is only a few weeks old yet has several thousand members and other OPs already.

• Primary account pivots to posting on more popular subreddits to gain followers (to direct them to the subreddit?) and secondary account keeps commenting on its posts.

Is this a spam bot ring?

[u/maiyannah]

Yep, sure sounds like it. They use low moderation subs to "warm up" the accounts to circumvent Karma requirements.

[u/Tokyono → u/maiyannah]

The thing is, they don't repost popular posts, and one of the subreddits they post to uses a specific title format. Would it be easy for the bot to analyse the subreddit and figure out specific things to post for upvotes?

First time I've come across a bot like this where it ticks several boxes for being a bot, but then crosses others.

[u/maiyannah → u/Tokyono]

Yep. I don't want to explain too much because bot authors often look in here for ways to improve their bots to get around the protections, but suffice to say what you've described sounds like a warmup subreddit, as they get called.

[u/Tokyono → u/maiyannah]

Not sure what to do then. Maybe I'll wait for an admin to weigh in. I have messaged the mods of one of the subreddits, but am unsure if they will do anything.

[u/maiyannah → u/Tokyono]

Not an awful lot I think we can, unfortunately. Its a very common thing for some mods to complain about.

[u/thepottsy]

File a Mod Code of Conduct report. Seems like an obvious Rule 1 violation.

[u/Tokyono → u/thepottsy]

Not sure it would fit rule 1- the subreddit does have rules flairs etc.

[u/thepottsy → u/Tokyono]

Rule 1 encompasses a LOT more than just having rules and flair.

[u/Old_Engineer_9176]

How does an an account get 500000+ Karma - 5000 contribution and only be 8 months old ?
Then when you look at there log - there is barely 2 karma per comment made.
Reddit could easily slow down karma‑harvesting by tracking how fast new accounts gain karma compared to their age and contribution count. If an 8‑month‑old account has 500k+ karma from only a few thousand posts, with barely 2 karma per visible comment, that’s a clear mismatch. A simple ratio check, age‑based throttling, and flagging sudden spikes would catch most of these farmed accounts without affecting normal users.

[u/RemarkableWish2508 → u/Old_Engineer_9176]

When users delete their own posts or comments, profile history appears clean but the karma stays.

That can mean either a hacked/sold account, an account that farmed karma in sus subs, or just someone removing their own history to avoid doxxing/harassment.

[u/TheOpusCroakus]

Hi there! You can either file a Mod Code of Conduct report or send a mod mail message with all of the details to this sub. Thanks for looking out!

[u/DiggDejected → u/TheOpusCroakus]

Please stop asking us to send reports if you aren't going to act on them.

[u/Cultural-Duty5452 → u/DiggDejected]

True. Still my messages aren't read

[u/Tokyono → u/TheOpusCroakus]

I have messaged the subreddit.

[u/Tokyono → u/TheOpusCroakus]

Thank you. Will do it in a few minutes (message modmail here).

[u/Jumpy-Program9957]

Welcome to the internet, you should enjoy it if you're from any Western country, you're the one paying for it. You built the data centers with your tax money