EMAIL SPAM By Registered Members - Are They BOTS? If not how to stop?

Hey All,

There are a bunch of SPAM threads and after reading through them it seems that the majority are based on bots that automatically signup as members and start posting SPAM posts in the forum.  There are a number of solutions to this including CAPTCHA, etc. where we try to thwart an automated BOT system.

I've (knock on wood) not had a huge problem with BOTs posting spam in my forum, but what I'm seeing now is members signing up and using the forum email feature and the links to members' email addresses to SPAM email them.

I highly doubt these are due to bots.   Would you agree?   If it isn't a bot, but a real person, then the CAPTCHA, other validation methods do me no good, correct?   Seems that the only fixes (base on this being real people and not bots) are:

1)  Encouraging members not to post their email addresses or allow email through the forum - I don't like this idea as it prohibits the communication and comradere within the community

2)  Reactively ban the member - By the time members receive the SPAM emails and report the user the spammer has already hit a bunch of members.    I'm also hesitant to ban IP addresses and especially ranges as I've seen legit members also get blocked.

So, for non-bot related spam, especially in the form of email to clients, is there a solution?