CNN reports that Porn ads slipped down the list of top junk e-mails in 2004, replaced by those hawking online Vioxx prescriptions, ID theft scams and stock pick information.

I am surprised that Mortage loans weren't in there too. That seems to be 30% of my spam anymore..................

Just a sign of the times:-)

morgages, loans, credit advandces. they should be in the list too. We are already making $14000/month worth of design for only just one clients that is dealing in that sector.

Plus my email box is getting run over with this kind of spam. Very strange.

Spam is bad....mmmmkay.

Stock spam and viagra spam is hot ya say...

Spammers follow the money.

Before I ceased all mailing operations there was no doubt in my mind that the best return from mail was certainly NOT from mailing adult.

Every major spammer has moved onto pharma (though that too is being saturated and is not as great as it was 18mths ago.)

And the best thing to mail for a pharma is hydrocodone, oxy , and vicoden.

The problem is investigations are being made into:

1) Non US pharmas :

even , and I say even , if you have a pharma and doctor liscensed outside of the US dispensing and prescribing hyodrocodone/vicoden etc.

It is illegal. Their qualifications are not recognised and therefore you are illegally importing class 2 narcotics into US soil. (It eanks at the same level as cocaine)

2) US Based Pharma.

Unless it is part of a huge orgainisation ie Walgreens online , or done right.This to can be problematical.

For example some have been busted because it came to the attention that 85% of Doctor Smiths prescriptions were for hydrocodone.

As for Stock market mail......

Mailing this is of course in an ideal world and attempt through dissemination of information to bring a company undervalued by the market to public awareness.

However it is usually merely to get some activity in the market over a stock that is basically trading by appointment.

To be done properly one should seek counsels opinion on the wording and disclaimers of the email.

Frankly ,from my perspective, I no longer mail

The risk / reward level is not there.

I truly believe that the war on spam is being won.

Major spam operations are closing.

However why there has been no drop in mailing overall is:

1) Certain mailers ,especially those able to penetrate AOL are making huge returns.

2.) For every major spam operation that pulls up its tents , 50 gfyers get a copy of darkmailer , a 6 yr old processor mail list and trys to make a $40 a day so he doesn't have to pull 2 shifts at Wendy's

sorry for the long post...

I wonder if all the spam I get from laywers suing over Vioxx is coming from the same lists that were spammed with vioxx earlier this year...