A large percentage of participants in our webinar cited automated signup detection as the most beneficial to multiple stakeholders, including users, business, app platforms and developers. It allows for the growth and streamlining of operations while ensuring that new customer accounts are valid and legitimate.

One of the most common types of cyberattacks involves creating multiple fake accounts and using them to conduct malicious activities. This can range from simple account theft to tying up inventory by filling in online shopping carts with false information, or even voting fraud or other forms of identity-related attacks.

Automated Signup Detection: What You Need to Know

The most obvious signs of fake signups include a high volume of signing up over a short period of time (sometimes thousands per minute), gibberish info being added into non-email fields, or suspicious syntax in the email address. Additionally, if you see a lot of users signing up from the same IP or ASN, UA string, or header order, it might be indicative of an attack.

To prevent bots, consider implementing a CAPTCHA or another form of verification on your signup page. Google reCAPTCHA offers both a physical checkbox as well as a passive/invisible option that does not interrupt the user at all, and Cloudflare Turnstile also has a free version of a puzzle that works in most cases. Other providers include HCaptcha, which also presents a puzzle, and more advanced options like ReCAPTCHA v3 that detects and blocks bots but does not require any interaction from the user.