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Spam: Nuisance or Menance, Prevention or Cure?

NCJ Number
210241
Author(s)
Rob McCusker
Date Published
March 2005
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This paper examines the increased use of spam or unsolicited commercial e-mail, its impact on crime, and measures to prevent spam.
Abstract
Spam is an electronic version of "junk mail" posted on the Internet through e-mail. However, the volume and intrusion of spam is much greater and the avoidance is extremely difficult. While the majority of spam concerns legitimate products, entrepreneurial criminals recognized quite rapidly the potential of spam for the facilitation of established crimes. Some of these crimes consist of business opportunities, chain letters, health and diet scams, and get-rich quick schemes. Any strategy to mitigate the impact of spam needs to be holistic in nature and consider the route by which spam is disseminated and the actors participating in the process. This paper discusses the increasing sophistication of the techniques used to obtain e-mail addresses, and outlines and critiques a selection of legislation that attempts to reduce or remove spam. It examines a range of measures in the prevention of spam.