OJS 2.4.8-3 - Multiple unsolicited emails being sent

Software Support
1

We have some journals complaining of multiple unsolicited emails being sent. In one case, for example, a user was sent an email on March 3, 2018 with a request for review. The user declined on March 5. Both of these are noted in the email log page within OJS. For some reason, however, the user reports being sent six copies of an overdue reminder to review email on May 18, 2018. The OJS database email_log table shows the review request from March 3, but nothing else. Our mail servers show six emails being sent to the same user on May 18, within a 4-minute timespan. Unfortunately, I don’t have copies of those emails, so I have been unable to examine the headers to confirm that they are indeed overdue review reminders.

Do you have any ideas on how best to troubleshoot this situation?

Thanks,

Damian

2

Hi @drbauder

Hmmm… a little bit strange… It would be good to double check what e-mails those exactly are… because else, we are just guessing…
If they or at least one of them is a reminder e-mail, I am wondering why that reminder e-mail is sent on May 18 for a review that is declined – I will double check the code – so could it be that it is for another submission/review of that user? Or could it be that you have the same copy of the system somewhere else (e.g. on a test server) from where the e-mails are sent? – which could explain why you do not see them in the log…
And then I have no idea why would one an the same e-mail be sent so many times :stuck_out_tongue: – Do you use a cron job for those scheduled tasks? Or Acron plugin?

Best,
Bozana