Administrative and Maintenance Tools - Multiple Account Detection & Prevention

It happens all of the time. Some members will make multiple accounts to back their own opinion or get an extra vote in a poll. Here's a modification that will detect and prevent multiple accounts, as well as notify the administration about multiple accounts. Inspiration for this modification came from the work of MPDev (creator of the Multiple Account Login Detector) and randominity (creator of the Multiple Account Registration Prevention). This is basically a combination of those two modifications but with new and improved functionality.

This is not an update to the "Multiple Account Login Detector (AE Detector)" nor is it an update to the "Multiple Account Registration Prevention." If you have either one of these (or both of them) installed, you should uninstall them before installing this modification.

With the initial release of Multiple Account Detection & Prevention, I believe that I have fixed previous bugs/complications as well as improved the efficiency and logic of the code. This is my first publicly released modification. I would appreciate any comments and suggestions!

Confirmed! This works perfectly on all vBulletin 3.6, 3.7, and 3.8 versions.

Unfortunately, I cannot give support right now. I may be able to help periodically, but until my schedule yields some more free time, I won't be much support. Please check back in a week or two.

Basic Details
File Edits: None
Template Edits: None
New Files: 6
Hooks/Plugins: 3
Global Phrases: 36
Install Time: 2 Minutes or Less
Install Difficulty: None, Very Easy

Features and Settings
- Login Detection
- Registration Prevention (Multiple Methods)
- Ignore Child Accounts
- Ignored Users
- Ignored Usergroups
- Ignored ISPs
- Prevention Usergroup
- IP Address Based Prevention
- Extended IP Address Prevention
- IP Address Time Inclusion
- Banned Account Check
- Primary Banned Usergroup
- Cookie Expiration Time
- Cookie Refreshing
- Cookie Name
- Cookie Reset
- Multiple Account Reporter
- Reports via PM
- PM Report Recipients
- Reports via New Thread
- Forum for Report Threads
- Verbose Mode
- BB Codes: LIST, URL, CODE

How it Works
With every newly recognized login/registration, an account-counting cookie is set (or added onto) with the member's User ID. Depending on the settings, Multiple Account Detection & Prevention will analyze the cookie during login/registration to see if there are any multiple accounts.

Login Detection offers cookie-checking and reporting. Registration Prevention offers the same thing, plus more advanced features. First of all, when it prevents an account from registering, it actually moves the registrant to the Prevention Usergroup so that the administration can review the case. This also allows for customized privileges for recognized multiple registrants. Registration Prevention also has IP address detection which finds out just as much information about users. Depending on an administrator's preference, this modification can also reban a new registrant if one of their previous accounts has been banned. In fact, if the administration wishes, multiple registrants can simply be denied registration all together.

Whenever there is a detection/prevention, the modification will report the information to the administration through private messages, a new thread, or both (depending on settings). The Multiple Account Reporter can be any valid user.

Known Issues
- vB Optimise users: Reporting via thread seems to get messed up by vB Optimise, so try reporting via PM instead.
- PhotoPost vBGallery users: The registration handling appears to not work properly when PhotoPost vBGallery is enabled.

From what I can tell, these known clashes have been caused by the other modification's coding. The author of vB Optimise will not even work with me to fix it. Until they improve their coding, I'm not sure if I can do anything about these issues. As far as I know, administrators that do not use the above modifications will not have any problems.

Installation / Upgrade
Unzip the package (madp.zip), upload the files to your forum location, and import the product file (allow overwrite if upgrading). Please read the ReadMe.txt file that is packaged with the modification for more information.

Please remember to mark this modification as installed if you use it!
If you like it, nominate it for the Mod of the Month!

Thank you!

[Boofo]

Originally Posted by Megatr0n

I don't intend on sharing the code with anyone, sorry mate.

Sounds to me like there is no code to share and maybe this is made up, for whatever reason?

[It's Damn Real!]

I have this installed on vB 4.1.2 and the mod works except for the fact that it doesn't post reports to the forum ID I gave it to post new threads under (to notify me when AE is tripped).

The report shows up under the What's New tab (for everyone), but doesn't show up in that private forum.

Not only do I not want regular users seeing this, but I want it being displayed in that private thread so moderators and Admins can see only.

Any ideas?

[Alan_SP]

For me, putting it in silent mode did the trick. Did you set it up to use silent mode?

[nhawk]

I can confirm that this works properly with 4.1.3, including IP detection with no cookie present on the registrants system.

[Kiros72]

Okay guys... Umm... I know that a lot of you are a bit ticked off at me since I've been so inactive in the development of this modification and support for it, but I'm trying to get back on the horse now. I have resumed development of Multiple Account Detection & Prevention and I will be returning to this thread on a much more regular basis.

Please bear with me, though. I've got finals this week and I'll also be attending summer courses at my university.

Oh, and if I can get in touch with vBOptimize's author, believe me, I will make every effort to correct the code that is malfunctioning if it's within my territory. Chances are that it is, since vBOptimize's author is incredibly talented. At any rate, hold tight. We may see some changes coming within this month.

Thanks,
Kiros

[Whiteknite]

I don't see anything that says this will work with 4.x.x which is what I am using. Will it work on 4.x.x?

[HMBeaty]

Originally Posted by Whiteknite

I don't see anything that says this will work with 4.x.x which is what I am using. Will it work on 4.x.x?

You didn't look hard enough

Originally Posted by kevin2007

It is still working with 4.1.2

Originally Posted by It's Damn Real!

I have this installed on vB 4.1.2 and the mod works except for the fact that it doesn't post reports to the forum ID I gave it to post new threads under (to notify me when AE is tripped).

The report shows up under the What's New tab (for everyone), but doesn't show up in that private forum.

Not only do I not want regular users seeing this, but I want it being displayed in that private thread so moderators and Admins can see only.

Any ideas?

Originally Posted by nhawk

I can confirm that this works properly with 4.1.3, including IP detection with no cookie present on the registrants system.

[Whiteknite]

Hmmm... I guess not..

Probably should not have been multi-tasking while doing some research

[Trek]

Excellent news on picking this up again, it's great, but could use an overhaul and a lot of the requested features.

Thanks for the work you've already done on it and the work you plan on putting into it!

[Wonksta]

Awesome news this Mod is fantastic! Works on 3.8.6 too!