Summary
Pristine spam traps can enter a new member welcome series through various pathways. These include bot activity hitting signup endpoints directly or filling forms with random addresses, user input errors like typos or malicious submissions, poor data collection practices such as a lack of double opt-in, failure to validate email addresses, or requiring opt-in as a condition. Furthermore, compromised signup forms can maliciously add addresses, and using purchased or harvested email lists significantly increases the risk. Finally, failing to maintain list hygiene by not removing old addresses, processing bounces, or addressing complaints promptly can also lead to spam traps.
Key findings
- Bot Submissions: Bots can directly hit signup endpoints or fill forms with random/harvested email addresses, which may include spam traps.
- User Input Issues: Typos and malicious input from users can inadvertently add spam traps to lists.
- Data Collection Deficiencies: A lack of double opt-in, failure to validate emails, and requiring opt-in can contribute to spam traps entering the system.
- Compromised Forms: Compromised signup forms can be exploited to add spam traps without consent.
- Poor List Management: Failure to maintain list hygiene, including removing old addresses and processing bounces/complaints, leads to spam traps.
- Purchased/Harvested Lists: Using purchased or harvested lists significantly increases the likelihood of including spam traps.
Key considerations
- Secure Endpoints: Secure email collection endpoints to prevent hackers/bots from exploiting forms.
- Implement Double Opt-in: Use double opt-in to verify subscribers' intent and prevent unauthorized additions.
- Validate Email Addresses: Employ email validation to catch typos and invalid formats.
- Maintain List Hygiene: Regularly remove inactive subscribers and process bounces/complaints to keep the list clean.
- Avoid Risky Lists: Refrain from purchasing or harvesting email lists.
- Monitor Deliverability: Monitor bounce rates, spam complaints, and overall deliverability metrics.
- Address Form Requirements: Evaluate if 'requiring' email for signup is truly necessary, as users may enter fake data.
What email marketers say
15 marketer opinions
Pristine spam traps can enter a new member welcome series through various means, including bots hitting signup endpoints, poor data collection practices (like not using double opt-in or failing to validate email addresses), user typos, compromised signup forms, purchasing email lists, harvesting email addresses, and failing to maintain list hygiene (removing inactive subscribers). Securing email collection endpoints is crucial to prevent hackers from flooding forms with spam traps. Monitoring deliverability metrics, bounce rates, and spam complaint rates can help detect potential issues. Requiring opt-in as a condition may lead to negative behaviors and potentially introducing spam traps as people enter fake emails.
Key opinions
- Bot Activity: Bots can directly hit signup endpoints or fill forms with random/harvested email addresses, some of which may be spam traps.
- Poor Data Collection: Lack of double opt-in, failure to validate emails, and requiring opt-in can all lead to spam traps entering the list.
- Compromised Forms: Compromised signup forms can be exploited to add large numbers of addresses, including spam traps, without consent.
- Purchased/Harvested Lists: Buying or harvesting email lists often introduces spam traps as these lists are not properly maintained.
- Data Decay: Using very old lists or failing to remove inactive subscribers increases the risk of hitting recycled or pristine spam traps.
- Attacks: Email deliverability can degrade from malicious attacks shoving emails into the system.
Key considerations
- Secure Endpoints: Secure email collection endpoints to prevent hackers from flooding welcome forms with harvested emails.
- Implement Double Opt-in: Use double opt-in to ensure subscribers actively confirm their interest in receiving emails.
- Validate Email Addresses: Validate email addresses at the point of entry to catch typos and invalid formats.
- Maintain List Hygiene: Regularly remove inactive subscribers, process bounces, and address complaints promptly.
- Monitor Deliverability: Track bounce rates, spam complaint rates, and overall deliverability to identify and address issues early.
- Reconsider Required Opt-in: Avoid requiring opt-in as a condition, as it can incentivize people to provide fake or invalid email addresses.
- Avoid Purchased Lists: Do not buy email lists; build your list organically through legitimate means.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks warns that hackers love to shove their prospective targets email address through welcome forms with email auto responders to flood mailboxes, so it's important to always secure your email collection endpoints.
30 Jan 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks shares that bots could be a way traps enter, also they could be hitting the email signup endpoint directly. Some traps absolutely do engage based on what she’s heard in webinars.
17 Apr 2023 - Email Geeks
What the experts say
3 expert opinions
Pristine spam traps can enter a new member welcome series through user typos or malicious input, poor data collection practices such as not validating email addresses or using single opt-in, and harvesting emails from websites or other sources without permission.
Key opinions
- User Input Errors: Typos and malicious input from users can inadvertently add spam traps to the list.
- Poor Data Collection Practices: Failing to validate email addresses or using single opt-in methods allows spam traps to enter the system.
- Email Harvesting: Harvesting emails from websites or other sources without permission often includes addresses created specifically to catch spammers.
Key considerations
- Implement Validation: Use robust email address validation to catch typos and invalid formats before adding addresses to the list.
- Use Double Opt-In: Implement double opt-in to confirm the subscriber's intent and prevent unauthorized additions.
- Avoid Harvesting: Do not harvest email addresses from websites or other sources; obtain consent through legitimate means.
- Secure Forms: Ensure forms are secured against malicious attacks and bots.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise, Laura Atkins, explains that poor data collection practices can lead to pristine spam traps entering a new member welcome series. Specifically, failing to validate email addresses or using single opt-in can allow traps to enter the system.
30 Oct 2024 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource suggests that harvesting emails can result in Spam Traps. Explains that scraping email addresses from websites or other sources without permission often includes addresses created specifically to catch spammers.
28 Feb 2024 - Spam Resource
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
Pristine spam traps are email addresses never used for legitimate communication, created to catch spammers. They enter systems via compromised signup forms, purchased lists, and failure to process bounces/complaints. Compromised forms can maliciously add addresses, purchased lists often contain traps, and neglecting bounces/complaints can lead to addresses becoming traps.
Key findings
- Pristine Spam Trap Definition: Pristine spam traps are email addresses that have never been used for legitimate email communication and are created to catch spammers.
- Compromised Forms: Compromised signup forms can be exploited to add large numbers of addresses, including spam traps, to your lists without consent.
- Purchased Lists: Purchased lists often contain spam traps, making them a risky source for building an email list.
- Unprocessed Bounces/Complaints: Failing to promptly process bounces and complaints can lead to addresses turning into spam traps over time.
Key considerations
- Secure Signup Forms: Protect signup forms from compromise and unauthorized submissions.
- Avoid Purchased Lists: Build email lists organically through legitimate means instead of purchasing them.
- Process Bounces/Complaints: Promptly process bounces and complaints to maintain list hygiene and avoid addresses becoming spam traps.
- Regular Monitoring: Regularly monitor your email list for signs of spam traps and take appropriate action.
Technical article
Documentation from Amazon AWS suggests that failing to promptly process bounces and complaints can be an issue. Addresses that generate bounces and complaints for a long time but are not removed, eventually turn into spam traps.
6 Dec 2024 - Amazon AWS
Technical article
Documentation from Spamhaus defines pristine spam traps as email addresses that have never been used for legitimate email communication. They explain that these traps are created specifically to catch spammers who harvest addresses or send unsolicited email to addresses obtained through questionable means.
1 Sep 2024 - Spamhaus
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