Habeas: Spam increased 100% in 2007

Spammers haven't forgotten how email works. Despite several companies who now offer email authentication and certification services, spammers and phishers are finding new ways to get information from consumers around the world.

by Kristina Knight

According to a recent report form Habeas, spam emails and phishing attacks increased 100% in 2007.

Consumers are becoming smarter about spam and phishing with about 60% of one survey's respondents saying they don't open emails they are unsure about. But that still leaves about 40% of the consumer population to be victimized.

The best defense is to keep the reputation of your company above reproach. Follow the best practices by culling email lists and only sending emails when consumers are expecting them. Also, email marketers should sign up with an authentication or certification program so that consumers know which emails are legitimate and which are not.

Marketers can also go a step further and monitor anyone who advertises within their emails. For example, a sweepstakes company would have other ads in an email message. Ensuring that these ads are from legitimate companies and that the links are legitimate will help keep your reputation above board.

Finally, experts suggest that prospecting emails - those looking for new customers or trying to reengage old/inactive customers - should be sent from a different IP address than emails to current/active consumers.