Does SPAM *REALLY* make any money?

[hevnsnt]

I mean seriously, everyone knows about it, everyone hates it. It just seems to me that a lot more money can be made using a computer differently. I understand the scammers, I mean fake paypal, ebay, etc.. That might work. But seriously, how does this SPAM make any money?

From: Darren Newton <vbwvfv@land.ru>
To: me
Subject: Learn to make a fortune on e-B-ay! mahayanist annihilate

He called her Myrna (or was it Myrna?).Where we can eagerly organize our tuba player.Indeed, parking lot for bubble share a shower with razor blade defined by fairy.Myrna, the friend of Myrna and meditates with labyrinth about fire hydrant.When you see of cleavage, it means that mastadon around wakes up.

 

[fs5]

I buy spam all the time, goes great in fried rice.

 

[minendo]

Spammer sends message to 20 Million people selling a product at $20. 1/2 of 1% decide to buy the product. That is still $2000000.

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: hevnsnt
I mean seriously, everyone knows about it, everyone hates it. It just seems to me that a lot more money can be made using a computer differently. I understand the scammers, I mean fake paypal, ebay, etc.. That might work. But seriously, how does this SPAM make any money?

From: Darren Newton <vbwvfv@land.ru>
To: me
Subject: Learn to make a fortune on e-B-ay! mahayanist annihilate

He called her Myrna (or was it Myrna?).Where we can eagerly organize our tuba player.Indeed, parking lot for bubble share a shower with razor blade defined by fairy.Myrna, the friend of Myrna and meditates with labyrinth about fire hydrant.When you see of cleavage, it means that mastadon around wakes up.

Subliminal message for send me all your money now biyotch?

 

[hevnsnt]

Yeah, but look at the message that was sent to me.. They are not selling *ANYTHING*

 

[DaveSimmons]

Some spam is just to harvest / verify your address. If the mailserver doesn't reject the mail as "unknown address" they add your address to their files to use and re-sell.

The addresses can be auto-generated, given an ISP like glarbnet.com, they'll send to asmith@glarbnet.com, bsmith, csmith, ... , zsmith, then to achin, bchin, .... , zchin@glarbnet.com and so on. If it doesn't bounce, they know the ISP has that address for some customer.

 

[Borracho]

I don't know you tell us... did you get paid for this spam post? jk

 

[Ness]

The cost of sending it is less than what the average teenage fast food worker makes in a day and takes only a few hours to do.

When your initial spending can be made up by even one gullible person, and business can be done with a small amount of capitol and time, the risk of doing it is minimal...

So yes, it's worth it unless you manage to do it so much you get busted for excessive bandwidth bills.

 

[Fingolfin269]

Originally posted by: hevnsnt
Yeah, but look at the message that was sent to me.. They are not selling *ANYTHING*

And the old 'We lost your information please refile it with us' trick never works either.

 

[hevnsnt]

maybe I will write them back asking where to send my $$, because I am all about "parking lot for bubble share a shower with razor blade defined by fairy"

 

[DaveSimmons]

I got one recently meant to look like an order for expensive golf clubs -- they sucker people into replying ("hey I didn't order theis!"), which moves your address into the "replies to spam" bin so they can sell your address for even more. It's also possible that it was a credit card / personal info harvesting scam.

 

[minendo]

Originally posted by: hevnsnt
maybe I will write them back asking where to send my $$, because I am all about "parking lot for bubble share a shower with razor blade defined by fairy"

Sure write back, and let them see that your address is actually valid. That is a smart move.

 

[PanzerIV]

Personally I feel that anybody who is found to have ordered something from these spamming bastards should have their picture posted on the most popular websites on the internet wearing a sign that says "I'm a dumbazz and I support SPAM." Kinda like the Scarlet Letter where the woman is forced to wear an A for adulteress maybe we should also have an 'S' stamped on their forehead.

 

[Eli]

You think that is bad?

When rattlesnake toward necromancer hides, defined by chess board ruminates.Any wheelbarrow can seek espadrille behind bullfrog, but it takes a real turkey to razor blade around.Leroy, although somewhat soothed by for crank case and fighter pilot related to.Still write a love letter to her from minivan living with, figure out her crank case around looking glass with fundraiser inside.

YEAH! that makes me want to click the link.

 

[hevnsnt]

Originally posted by: minendo

Originally posted by: hevnsnt
maybe I will write them back asking where to send my $$, because I am all about "parking lot for bubble share a shower with razor blade defined by fairy"

Sure write back, and let them see that your address is actually valid. That is a smart move.

Come on man, I was joking.

 

[Abhi]

If it didnt make money... it wud have been dead by now... no?

 

[pulse8]

Originally posted by: Abhi
If it didnt make money... it wud have been dead by now... no?

Don't you mean "wood?"