Spam

Every couple of months I look in my Spam folder to make sure the Spam filter is not misdirecting real email in to the trash. (That happens sometimes with my wife's work email.) I'm happy to report that my spam catcher is doing a fine job. A randomly selected sample of 50 filtered-out-as-Spam messages contained the following:

5 - Contraband pharmaceuticals (Who takes drugs they get from a website?)
7 - Penis enlargement therapies
1 - Breast enlargement therapies (apparantly men are more insecure about their bodies than are women)
9 - Investment advice/Get-Rich-Quick scams
2 - Distance education – legitimate
1 - Degree mills ("Get the respect that only comes with a Ph.D.")
5 - Loans/credit cards/financial services/insurance
8 - Discount (aka counterfeit) designer watches, purses, shoes, etc.
7 - Deceptive subject lines (i.e. “Order Confirmation #12492-1334” / "I forgot, are we meeting after work tonight?")
2 – Internet gambling
1 - Weight loss (legitimate company, I think)
1 - Magazine subscriptions
1 - Discount cigars

Two of above items came with attachments sure to infect my computer with many hideous viruses.
I was kind of surprised that none of the filtered spam were Nigerian scams. I was surprised that legitimate companies/schools are still Spamming. It seems that the ban on intenet gambling in the US is working. (In 1999 I made a lot of money promoting internet gambling for the mob. I didn't know I was working for the mob at the time. I used to sell access to an email list of 1/4 million "known internet gamblers". It was a very valuable list. Of course,today, with the new law, that kind of list is much reduced in value.