SPAM (Part 2 of 2)

Last time I asked a question: With Internet Service Providers seeking ways to reduce their bandwidth costs by eliminating spam, computer security companies working feverishly to create a product or service which eradicates spam, and email recipients who are not fooled by their messages for one reason or another, why is there spam at all?  What is in it for the spammer?

Let’s use the recent “Yahoo! Breech” for our analysis.

As mentioned last time, approximately 400,000 accounts were compromised.  Let’s assume each account has fifty (50) contacts.  Why fifty?  To make the math easier and to somewhat distinguish from actively used accounts and sparely used ones.  If we sent a spam email to each address, we’d would be sending 20,000,000 emails. 

Now let’s assume that one (1) in a million are gullible enough to respond to these kind of tactics.  This leaves twenty (20) positive responses. 

Now let’s assume that $1,000 is actually exchanged.  Why $1,000?  To make the math easier.  I’m also factoring in the costs of doing “business”, no matter what form that takes.

This leaves a “profit” of $20,000.  Not bad for a single email blast.

Law enforcement and ex-spammers say that 1-3 per 10,000 emails will generate actual money.  If use the 1 in 10,000 ratio, this leads to 2,000 payments of $1,000 each or $2,000,000 in profit; from a single email blast! 

How much spam is in your inbox?  No wonder why spam is such big business these days.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Email_spam