Spam levels rocket

Anti-spam firm ClearMyMail has reported that levels of spam almost quadrupled in the second quarter of this year.

In its quarterly index ClearMyMail said that the average amount of spam blocked per customer, between April and June 2008, rose to 30,846 – four times the amount it recorded in the previous quarter.

ClearMyMail said the Royal Bank of Scotland is the main company targeted by phishing attacks.

Also, customers who choose Orange as an internet service provider received the highest percentage of spam for the second consecutive quarter.

The firm also reported the UK is now guilty of being the main source of phishing attacks – most of which originates from the UK and US.

The UK is now the biggest culprit, sending 19.65 per cent of all spam emails; 0.02 per cent more than the USA, which was at the top in the first quarter.

The results also showed that more European countries have become a threat to UK email accounts and now, with the UK being the number one culprit, there is much cause for concern as it is suggested that spammers and phishers are getting more targeted and even local. This allows spammers to know the markets they are targeting and therefore maximise the effectiveness of rogue emails.