Authorities who want to stop email spam have been going about it all wrong.
A new study of spam has some fascinating findings. About one in every 12-million emails turns into a purchase but it’s still a very lucrative venture. Computer scientists in California spent two years trolling the web with 20 computers tracking spam-related transactions. They concluded that all the firewalls in the world won’t stop the spammers. You need to hit them where it will really hurt: the wallet.
Big banks have created, and in some cases sold off, credit-card-clearing companies that have relationships with smaller merchants. In some cases several company names in spammed emails can be traced back to the same seller. If those sellers were denied clearance for their transactions, the spamming would stop, according to the study. If you keep trying to block the spammer they’ll just find a new way around you. If you render their efforts useless – in other words, prevent them from making money – they will have no choice but to close up shop.
The cynic in me thinks a financial institution won’t want to be associated with a spammer but they also won’t want to lose any precious revenue. Which one motivates them more, hmmm, I wonder – dollars or ethics? That question is rhetorical, of course.
dollars or ethics? See financial crisis!