User registrations are a great way to build community and collect valuable data, but can become a problem when spammers create fake accounts. In the worst case scenario, spammers can gain elevated access and use it to promote or distribute malicious content or even install malware on site visitors’ computers. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to prevent this from happening.
How to stop fake users from registering is to require a strong password policy during registration. This can include requiring a minimum length of password, including upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Another useful measure is to implement email verification during registration, which requires users to activate their account by clicking a link in an email sent to them from the address they provided when registering. This requires the user to be human and can help to identify bots.
How to Stop Fake Users from Registering on Your Website
Another common measure is to implement CAPTCHA on the user registration form. This is a test that is designed to be easy for humans but difficult for robots, and it can help to ensure that only real people are registering. Several third-party plugins and extensions are available for this purpose, such as hCAPTCHA, which is customisable and prioritises user privacy.
Some sites also implement honeypots, which are hidden traps that can be used to capture the IP addresses of bots and other undesirable users. This information can then be used to block these users and protect the site from further spamming.
