Spam Hits Record Highs after Summer Holidays

Spam traffic touch peak levels as spammers return to their activities after the end of summer vacations. The amount of spam mails making to the New Zealand inboxes has been hitting record levels, according to Auckland-based virus service and anti-spam provider, SMX.

SMX assesses the volume and type of spam mails identified on a daily basis, according to the company's Managing Director Jesse Ball. Scoop published this in news on September 6, 2007. Ball said that there was an incredible amount of spam in the second half of August 2007.

Spam levels during late 2006 and early 2007 touched record levels after which it declined sharply. But again in June 2007, the levels began to make sharp hikes. By the time July came, spam levels exceeded the record highs of January 2006 and they are now continuing to rise steeply, day after day, said Mr. Ball.

In terms of percentage, there was a 100% increase in spam volumes in August 2007 over that of May 2007. It translates into 50% hike in spam than the earlier record of January 2007.

This implies that 78% of total e-mails that SMX blocked for the benefit of its customers in August 2007 accounted for spam mails, said Mr. Ball.

One reason why the spam traffic increased so much relates to the return of spammers in the Northern Hemisphere from their vacations. This, according to Ball, was responsible for the rapid growth in volumes. However, the general trend is growing because spamming works.

SMX also found a major upswing in spam traffic reaching a peak at 1am, just an hour after New Zealand's execution of anti-spam law on September 5, 2007. Spam volumes rose by 20% per day.

Anti-spam compliance manager for the Department of Internal Affairs, Joe Stewart, said that thirteen complaints came in to complain about spam on September 5, 2007. Five of them linked to a data breach.

Innumerable business organizations had called the Department over the phone to be sure they were operating within the anti-spam Act. Most of the organizations received their recipients' consent and so were assured they were complying with the rules.

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» SPAMfighter News - 9/17/2007