Why we get so much spam
The reason our mailboxes are jammed with spam is that spamming pays. An amazing 29% of Internet users admitted to purchasing something from a spammer according to an article at AppScout that also says:
More than 150 billion spam messages circulate daily, accounting for more than 85 percent of the total number of emails sent throughout the world. The sheer volume of spam consumes an enormous amount of bandwidth and remains one of the Internet’s biggest security problems.
And there’s little incentive to stop the spam. Recent FBI prosecutions of “bot-herders” suggest that the going rate is as little as $5 to $10 per million messages. Response rates are generally low - approximately 10 purchases are made for every million spam messages sent - but enough people purchase from spam to make it worthwhile for spammers to continue waging battle on your “Junk” folder in the hopes that one will slip through into your inbox.
Update: Here’s some more about the spam problem from PC World:
- Eight Crazy E-Mail Hoaxes Millions Have Fallen For
“E-mail fills our in-boxes with come-ons to see celebrities naked and to get rich quick. Even though we know deep down that these are fakes, why do we contine to think, ‘Maybe?’” - Spam is King
“Spam is a booming business and according to a recent poll almost 30% of you are the problem.”
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