Canadian Pharmacy Dominates Spam

A new report analyzing spam trends for the first half of 2010 has found that Canadian Pharmacy spam accounted for a whopping 66% of the total global spam volume for that time period. Spam hawking fake designer goods came in a distant 2^nd with 7% of total global spam volume.

Canadian Pharmacy, which dubs itself the #1 internet pharmacy, isn’t Canadian or even a pharmacy at all. It’s run by a Russian cybercrime group that hides behind a rogue affiliate program called GlavMed. The site sells fake versions of well known prescription drugs such as Viagra, Cialis, Vicodin, and Oxycontin, a practice so dangerous the FDA issued a warning about it, as well as fake vitamins and male enhancement products. There’s no actual pharmacist overseeing things and they take and fulfill orders without asking for a prescription. The fake drugs are made in, and shipped from, India and China.

The GlavMed group uses botnets to pump out its spam and has been known to control up to 8 of them. They avoid being shut down by using so-called bulletproof hosts that ignore all take down requests and complaints.

The so-called “Replica Products” spam campaign may comprise only 7% of global spam volume but look for that to rise as the holidays approach. Those spammers will be out in full force hawking fake Rolex watches, Louis Vuitton and Coach handbags, Rayban sunglasses, and more as they try to appeal to cash strapped shoppers looking for bargains. With the economy still on shaky ground you can be sure they’ll do what they can to take advantage.