# Why the sudden influx of spam?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-sudden-influx-of-spam/603338>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 18, 2011, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-sudden-influx-of-spam/603338 "2011-11-18T13:27:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-sudden-influx-of-spam/603338/21 "2011-11-19T02:52:23Z")

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> [@elfkin477](#):
>
> What I don’t understand is why I’ve suddenly over the past 72 hours gotten some spam mail in my inbox with the **exact same subject lines** as have gone to my spam folder earlier in the week. Why aren’t they all treated the same way if they all say “Hey Handsome” or “Buy Diplomas Online”?

Spam scores aren’t just based on text. The algorithms usually include some pluses for trusted senders and proper headers. They lower the spam score and slip through the filters even tho the text is spammy.

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**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-sudden-influx-of-spam/603338/22 "2011-11-19T03:32:05Z")

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> [@ZipperJJ](#):
>
> Spam scores aren’t just based on text. The algorithms usually include some pluses for trusted senders and proper headers. They lower the spam score and slip through the filters even tho the text is spammy.

Or the spam filters were offline or incapacitated for a brief period. There are many ways this could have happened, the systems are complex.

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**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-sudden-influx-of-spam/603338/23 "2011-11-19T03:45:22Z")

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> [@Teacake](#):
>
> More spam than usual in my Yahoo inbox the last couple of days too. No change in the amount coming to hotmail, though.

Same here. I’m getting spam in my spam file on Hotmail, about the same amount as usual. I’m also getting spam in my spam file on Yahoo, about the same amount, but I’m also getting a LOT of spam in my Yahoo inbox, which isn’t usual.

One piece of spam in my Hotmail inbox, which motivated me to finally put [Hushmail.com](http://Hushmail.com) on my blocked domain list.

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