I can’t tell you the number of emails I get. I mean could tell you, but then I would have to actually count the number of emails.
First, I would have to separate the real ones from the fake ones. Yes, I am talking about SPAM emails and not really the ones that are out phishing for credit card numbers or bank account information. I am actually referring to the many legitimate companies sending out unsolicited emails. I get a lot of those.
Then I would have to separate the emails that are not real, but come from a company or person I know. The problem now of course is it is getting harder and harder to separate the real emails from the unwanted. I became increasingly aware of this about a year-and-a-half ago when I received and interesting piece of SPAM…from myself.
Well, it wasn’t really from me in that I don’t have any companies that sell cheap watches but the “from” in the email had my name and my email. My IT person quickly educated me just about anyone can send an email “from” whomever they wish – it just takes a little computer trickery.
Now I get about 2-3 emails from “me” every week. The spammers are selling anything from watches to online greeting cards.
Spammers and Phishers do it for one reason. It is a numbers game and they have no interest in long-term business development. Nothing will burn your database (or potential customer base) than the loss of trust.
Somewhere along the way lines became blurred. What is simply right and wrong started to have, for some people, gray areas. Solid business and personal ethics will always guide you in the right direction.
Oh, and if you get an email from me to sell you a watch…I didn’t send it.
