Study Says Spam Up, Porn Down

LEXINGTON, Mass. — While spam and malicious phishing emails continue flooding user inboxes, fewer adult companies are sending spam to promote their products — and fewer hackers are using porn as bait — according to a study from security software maker Ipswitch.

The study said spam accounts for 70 percent of all email, representing a sizable spike compared to 57 percent in December.

Of those spam, slightly more than a third focused on offers for prescription drugs and about one-fifth were related to supposed financial products. Most of those, the company found, were actually phishing scams.

One area that has decreased, thanks primarily to filtering technology, is porn spam or, more likely, fake porn spam. Once the No. 1 form of spam, it now accounts for only 14 percent.

“Conventional spam, by which I mean non-phishing, is less effective than it used to be,” Ipswitch director of product marketing David Karp said. “People are getting wise, and filters are getting better. And I think that is why phishing is on the rise, because a spammer can no longer sell fake watches or fake pornography.”

However, other tech industry analysts point out that while everyone complains about spam, it remains a viable option for marketers simply because a large enough number of users continue to respond to it. A survey from Reflexion Network Solutions in June showed that 22 percent of those surveyed had visited a website from a spam email.

Also in general, spammers continue to outsmart filtering software by using creative spellings for key words and branching out into new technologies.

“The next generation may have new forms of communication, but I would suspect that they'll get a new form of spam,” Karp said. “Spam is appearing in instant messaging, either computer or phone based.”

Karp said most spam, no matter the product category, is a ruse for something other than the product supposedly being sold.

“It's not that legitimate businesses have bad email practices,” Karp said. “These are typically illegitimate business from the get-go. Most companies know how to send emails that are valuable to their customers and take people off lists when they don't want to be on them.”

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Ohio AG Threatens Action Against 'Major' Adult Sites Over AV Law

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced today that his office is sending "notice of violation" letters to 19 adult websites for failure to comply with the state's recently enacted age verification law.

Chaturbate Announces 2025 Music Contest Winners

Chaturbate has revealed the winners of its 2025 music competition.

2026 XBIZ Exec Awards Pre-Noms Open With Debut of New 'Impact' Honors

XBIZ is pleased to announce that the pre-nomination period for the 2026 XBIZ Exec Awards, the adult industry’s premier career honor, begins today and runs through Oct. 14.

MYM Launches New Traffic System

German creator platform MYM has launched a new traffic system for its members.

Ukrainian Content Creators on Hook for Nearly $10M in Back Taxes

Content creators in Ukraine owe the equivalent of $9.3 million in back taxes, according to the country's State Tax Service.

Eroutique Relaunches Site Through YourPaysitePartner

Eroutique has relaunched its official website through YourPaysitePartner (YPP).

Update: Pornhub Will Not Block Ohio, Despite AV Law

Pornhub parent company Aylo will not block access to its websites in Ohio, despite new state age verification rules that came into effect Sept. 30.

Pineapple Support, Pornhub to Host 'ADHD-Friendly' Support Group

Pineapple Support and Pornhub are hosting a free online support group for performers with ADHD.

Judge Dismisses Some Claims in 'Children of Pornhub' Trafficking Suit

A United States district judge on Friday dismissed some but not all claims against Aylo in a long-running case involving CSAM allegations featured in the influential 2020 New York Times article “The Children of Pornhub.”

FSC Sets Key Dates, Qualifiers for December Board of Directors Election

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) today announced key dates and qualifiers for its upcoming Board of Directors election.

Show More