An Inconvenient Truth: Spam Sells Lots of Sex and Drugs

Davey Winder
Tuesday, 19 August 2008 23:24

Business IT - Security

Hardly surprising when you consider that malware infected spam can be used to distribute the Trojans that help build botnets, which in turn can be used to send more spam. The vicious cycle is only occasionally interrupted when a botnet is busted and a spam gang arrested.

With the FBI suggesting that the going rate to send a million spam messages is no more than USD $10, none of this should come as any surprise at all.

“A common misconception is that ‘regular’ people don’t buy from spam" Anstis explains, continuing "but, you have to consider the types of products people are buying. It’s pirated software, knock-off watches, counterfeit designer goods, cheap drugs and prescription medicines, pornography and other adult material. The Internet provides convenience and a degree of anonymity to people who want to buy illegal or restricted goods. It is a black market and spam has become a conventional means of advertising to a willing audience of millions of people who are purchasing from spam.”

What is interesting is that this latest poll suggests people who admitted to buying via spam have done so many times, making multiple purchases. On average, it reveals, people buy more than two different types of product. Maybe spam consumers are a habitual breed?