2024 Annual Spam Report

Spam continues to evolve, becoming more sophisticated and disruptive each year. From phishing scams targeting unsuspecting users to bots flooding online forms, spam remains a persistent challenge for both individuals and businesses.

In this 2024 Annual Spam Report, we dive into the numbers, trends, and insights from the past year, offering a detailed look at the evolving landscape of spam and its far-reaching impact on industries, organizations, and everyday users.

Why Does Spam Matter?

Spam isn’t just annoying—it’s costly. It clogs inboxes, damages reputations, and exposes businesses to fraud and cyber attacks. Industries like finance, e-commerce, and SaaS suffer financial losses and customer mistrust, while individuals face compromised data and wasted time.

This year, political spam surged alongside health-related scams exploiting public concerns. By understanding these trends, you can stay ahead of the evolving threats.

Here are examples of the 3 most common types of spam in 2024:

1. SEO Spam

SEO spammers exploit website owners' anxieties by sending unsolicited messages that highlight purported search ranking deficiencies. These fraudulent communications strategically generate concern about online visibility, then offer questionable optimization services designed to manipulate businesses into revealing sensitive information or purchasing ineffective solutions.

2. Political Spam

Political spam proliferates during election seasons, strategically designed to disseminate misinformation and propaganda. US election-related spam significantly intensifies, leveraging digital platforms to manipulate public discourse and spread divisive, often fabricated narratives targeting vulnerable populations.

3. Financial Spam

Financial spam has proliferated around cryptocurrency and investment scams, strategically exploiting victims' financial desperation and hope of recovering lost funds. These deceptive tactics represent an evolving landscape of digital fraud targeting vulnerable individuals through sophisticated psychological manipulation.

The 2024 Spam Report

How We Collected and Analyzed the Data

This 2024 Annual Spam Report is based on a representative sample of malicious IPs detected by OOPSpam in 2024. These IPs were flagged for engaging in online spam activities targeting forms such as sign-ups, review forms, contact forms, and e-commerce forms. The data specifically focuses on online spam, excluding email spam unrelated to forms.

The data was gathered using machine-learning spam detection tools and global network monitoring, analyzing spam activity by geographic location, platform vulnerabilities, and industry impact. This robust analysis identifies patterns and trends to provide actionable insights for mitigating spam risks.

How to Use This Report

Whether you’re a business owner, IT professional, or just someone curious about the digital world, this report is designed to empower you with actionable insights. You’ll find data-driven analysis, visual aids, and expert commentary to help you understand spam’s impact and how to mitigate it effectively.

By the end of this report, you’ll have a clearer picture of the spam landscape and be better equipped to protect yourself, your business, and your customers.

Let’s dive in and uncover what 2024 has taught us about the ongoing battle against spam.

Top Spam-Contributing Countries

Spam knows no borders, but some countries contribute significantly more to the problem than others. In 2024, the distribution of spam by country offers key insights into global spam activity and highlights areas where mitigation efforts are needed the most.

This year, the United States and China have taken the top spots for spam origin, accounting for nearly 58% of all spam IPs combined. Following closely are Russia and Japan, with South Africa rounding out the top five.

Here's the detailed breakdown:

Together, these five countries are responsible for nearly 78% of the global spam IP activity, underscoring the scale of the problem in these regions.

Emerging Concerns in Other Regions

While the top five countries dominate the spam scene, regions like Europe and Southeast Asia have also seen notable activity:

• United Kingdom (4.18%): With its strong digital economy, the UK remains a key target for spam campaigns, particularly in e-commerce and finance.
• India and Southeast Asia: Rapid digital adoption in these regions has led to an increase in spam, particularly targeting small businesses with weak cybersecurity.
• Seychelles (1.97%): Despite its small size, Seychelles is frequently exploited as a hub for spam operations due to lax regulations.

Spam by CMS Distribution

Content Management Systems (CMS) play a crucial role in managing websites, but they also become significant targets for spam. In 2024, WordPress remained the most spammed platform, but its share of spam activity has decreased compared to previous years as spammers began targeting other platforms more frequently.

WordPress continues to dominate the CMS landscape and remains a top target for spammers. However, platforms like Drupal, Joomla, and Magento have seen increases in spam activity, reflecting their growing adoption and the diversification of spam campaigns. These changes underscore the need for tailored security measures across all CMS platforms.

Implications for Businesses and Developers

Spam activity on CMS platforms has far-reaching effects. It can harm a website’s reputation, reduce user trust, and even lead to financial losses. Key issues include:

• Decreased Website Performance: Spam bots consume server resources, slowing down websites.

• SEO Penalties: Search engines penalize websites hosting spammy content or links.

• Data Breaches: Exploited vulnerabilities can result in stolen customer data.

WordPress’s dominance in spam statistics isn’t a flaw—it’s a reflection of its popularity. While its open-source nature and extensive ecosystem make it a powerful tool for website management, they also demand a proactive approach to security.

Emerging CMS Platforms and New Approaches to Spam Filtering

While WordPress continues to dominate the CMS landscape, other platforms are steadily gaining popularity. These emerging platforms reflect a shift in how websites are managed and highlight the importance of tailoring spam protection strategies to their unique vulnerabilities.

Notable Growth in Other CMS Platforms

• Wix: Increased from 3.8% in January 2024 to 4.5% in November 2024.

• Squarespace: Maintained a steady market share of 3.0% to 3.1% throughout the year.

• Webflow: Grew from 1.0% to 1.1% between January and November 2024.

• Bubble.io: While specific data isn't available, its rising adoption underscores the growth of no-code platforms.

As these platforms gain traction, their security frameworks will need to evolve to combat spam effectively. Implementing robust protections, such as CAPTCHA systems, advanced spam filters, and automated workflows, will be essential to maintaining secure and trusted online environments.

Expanding Beyond CMS-Level Spam Filtering

A growing trend in spam management is the use of automation platforms like Zapier and Make, which filter spam before it reaches CMS or CRM systems. These platforms offer flexible workflows that prevent spam submissions from disrupting website operations.

How Automation Platforms Help

• Zapier: Filters submissions by validating email formats and blocking flagged keywords.

• Make: Enables advanced workflows to process and redirect suspicious form submissions.

These tools enhance security by adding a proactive layer of spam filtering, reducing the burden on CMS-based protection systems. For instance, a workflow might automatically reject form submissions containing common spam terms or redirect questionable entries to a review queue.

Most Spammed Forms

Forms are a critical part of websites, connecting businesses with their customers through sign-ups, inquiries, and transactions. Unfortunately, these same forms are prime targets for spammers. We observed a clear pattern of which forms were hit hardest by spam attacks—and why.

Sign-up and contact forms together accounted for 80% of spam attacks, with spammers leveraging these common entry points to spread fake information, malicious links, and phishing attempts.

E-commerce forms saw heightened activity during holiday shopping seasons, with card testing attacks posing significant risks. Meanwhile, sign-up forms faced relentless bot activity, causing reputational damage and delivery issues. Contact and review forms were also heavily exploited for spam and misleading content.

The Consequences of Spammed Forms

Spam attacks on forms can lead to:

• Damaged Domain Reputation: Increased email bounces caused by fake sign-ups harm your sender score.

• Customer Distrust: Spam-filled contact forms and fake reviews erode user confidence.

• Operational Strain: Spam overload slows down website performance and wastes valuable resources.

• Financial Losses: Fraudulent activity on e-commerce forms can lead to chargebacks and other financial penalties.

By implementing robust security measures and staying vigilant, businesses can mitigate the risks and ensure their forms remain a secure and effective communication tool.

Spam Types Breakdown

Spam has evolved far beyond unsolicited emails selling questionable products. Spammers exploited global events, public health concerns, and financial trends to craft more convincing and harmful messages.

Health and medicine spam led the way, but political spam saw a dramatic rise during major events such as the 2024 US election and conflicts in Israel and Ukraine. This year also saw a surge in scams selling antidepressants, wellness gummies, and other unregulated drugs. Meanwhile, financial spam, often tied to cryptocurrency schemes, targeted victims by attempting to steal crypto wallets and personal identities.

The Driving Forces Behind Spam Content

Spam trends often reflect broader societal and technological shifts. In 2024, the following factors influenced spam content:

1. Global Events

Political spam spikes during elections and periods of geopolitical instability. Spammers exploited events like the 2024 US election and international conflicts to spread misinformation and manipulate public opinion.

2. Health Concerns

The rising focus on mental health and wellness created opportunities for spammers to push fake medical products, unregulated drugs, and misleading health claims.

3. Financial Scams

Cryptocurrency adoption continued to grow, and with it came more sophisticated spam campaigns aimed at stealing wallets and personal data through fraudulent investment opportunities.

The diversity of spam content in 2024 underscores its adaptability and persistence. From fake medical products to crypto scams, spammers exploit every avenue to achieve their goals. Understanding these trends is the first step in building stronger defenses and reducing the impact of spam on individuals and organizations.

Most Common Spam Words

Certain words appeared more frequently in spam messages, reflecting the tactics spammers use to deceive recipients and bypass filters. By understanding these common spam terms, businesses and individuals can better equip themselves to identify and mitigate spam threats.

These five words dominated spam messages, accounting for nearly all recurring patterns. Their prevalence highlights the types of scams most often attempted, such as financial fraud and identity theft.

How Spam Filters Are Adapting

Online form platforms are continuously improving their spam filters to detect and block messages containing common spam words. Key advancements include:

• Machine Learning Algorithms: Filters learn from past patterns to recognize spam more effectively.

• Contextual Analysis: Filters now assess the context in which words like “bank” or “payment” are used, reducing false positives.

• Enhanced Blacklists: Known spam email domains and IP addresses are regularly added to blacklists.

Despite these advancements, spammers find ways to bypass filters using obfuscation techniques, such as replacing letters with numbers (e.g., “b@nk”), inserting invisible characters, or using homoglyphs—characters that look similar but are different (e.g., "bɑnk").

Most Spammed Industries

Spam doesn’t discriminate, but certain industries bear a disproportionate share of the burden. In 2024, the financial sector once again emerged as the top target, while e-commerce and SaaS businesses also faced significant challenges. These industries were targeted for their valuable data, transactional nature, and broad consumer reach, making them prime opportunities for spammers.

The financial sector, with nearly half of all spam attacks, remains highly vulnerable to phishing scams and credential theft attempts. E-commerce businesses faced increased spam during peak shopping seasons, while SaaS companies were targeted for their subscription models and user databases.

Consequences of Spam by Industry

Spam has far-reaching consequences for targeted industries:

• Financial Losses: Fraudulent transactions and credential theft result in significant monetary damages.

• Reputational Harm: Spam erodes trust, particularly in finance and e-commerce sectors.

• Heightened Security Costs: Businesses must invest heavily in detection tools and cybersecurity measures.

The financial sector and e-commerce businesses bore the brunt of attacks in 2024, but no industry is immune. By understanding these threats and adopting tailored defenses, organizations can mitigate risks and maintain customer trust in an increasingly hostile digital environment.

Most Targeted WordPress Form Builders

WordPress powers a significant portion of the web, and its form builders are indispensable tools for collecting user data and facilitating communication. However, their popularity makes them prime targets for spam. Certain form builders attracted more spam activity than others—not because they are inherently less secure, but because their widespread use made them appealing targets.

Contact Form 7 took the lead in spam activity, followed closely by WPForms and Elementor Forms. Together, these three form builders accounted for over 75% of spam attacks targeting WordPress forms.

What Types of Spam Target Form Builders?

Spam attacks on WordPress forms vary widely, but common patterns include:

• Fake Sign-Ups: Bots fill out forms with fake email addresses to disrupt systems or gain access to restricted content.

• Typosquatting: Spam messages containing fake URLs that mimic legitimate domains.

• Phishing: Forms are used to distribute messages impersonating well-known brands or services.

• Card Testing: E-commerce forms built with these plugins are targeted for validating stolen credit card information.

What Developers Are Doing to Address Spam

Form builder developers are constantly working to improve spam prevention mechanisms. Features like built-in spam detection, enhanced bot-blocking algorithms, and regular updates are helping users stay ahead of threats.

Additionally, many form builders now offer premium features for advanced spam protection, catering to businesses and websites with higher security needs.

Most Abusive Data Centers on the Internet

Certain data centers were identified as the primary sources of spam, either due to lenient policies or a lack of robust abuse detection systems. Understanding which data centers spammers exploit can help businesses and individuals take proactive steps to secure their online environments.

Emanuel Hosting Ltd. tops the list with over a third of its IP addresses classified as abusive, followed by Stiftung Erneuerbare Freiheit and CentralNic Ltd. These organizations represent key nodes in the infrastructure used by spammers.

Why Are These Data Centers Abused?

1. Lack of Abuse Detection

Many data centers lack robust systems to detect and block abusive activities. This creates an ideal environment for spammers to operate without immediate consequences.

2. Weak Enforcement Policies

Even when abusive activity is reported, some data centers fail to act swiftly or effectively, allowing spammers to continue their operations.

3. Low-Cost Hosting

Data centers offering low-cost hosting services often attract spammers who prioritize affordability over accountability.

4. Spammer Evasion Tactics

Spammers frequently migrate between data centers to avoid detection and blacklisting, exploiting providers with lax regulations.

The Role of Data Centers in Spam Operations

Spam campaigns frequently originate from data centers due to their affordable computing power and high bandwidth, which spammers exploit for large-scale operations. The declining cost of hardware and the widespread availability of low-cost VPS (Virtual Private Servers) make it easier than ever for spammers to deploy their campaigns. Once detected, they often abandon these servers and set up new ones, continuing their activities with minimal disruption.

Spammers leverage data centers for:

• Bulk Email Distribution: Sending millions of spam emails rapidly.

• Botnet Command Centers: Hosting servers that control malicious botnet activities.

• Phishing Sites: Creating fake websites to steal user credentials.

• Malware Distribution: Hosting and distributing malicious software.

Impact on Legitimate Consumers

This practice also negatively affects legitimate users. Once a spammer’s IP is blocked or blacklisted, it becomes difficult for future users of the same IP to access essential services, damaging their online credibility.

The 2024 data highlights that while some data centers actively combat abuse, others have become enablers of spam due to inadequate policies and enforcement. Providers like Emanuel Hosting Ltd. illustrate the need for greater accountability within the hosting industry to protect both consumers and the broader internet ecosystem.

Top 5 Domain Registrars with Spam Domains

Domain registrars are essential for managing web addresses, but their vast domain portfolios make them attractive to spammers. Five registrars were identified as the most abused by spam-related activities. While their size and popularity contribute to their inclusion on this list, insufficient monitoring and lax enforcement also play a role.

Together, these registrars accounted for millions of spam-related domains, making them key players in the global spam landscape.

Why Are These Registrars Abused?

1. Popularity: The most abused registrars are also some of the largest, with millions of domains under their management. This volume makes them attractive to spammers looking for anonymity in a vast sea of legitimate users.

2. Low-Cost Registration: Many spammers prioritize affordability. Registrars offering budget-friendly services often attract spammers who exploit these platforms to register multiple domains at minimal cost.

3. Limited Monitoring: Registrars with limited resources or weak abuse detection systems struggle to keep pace with spammers’ tactics. This creates an environment where spam domains can thrive unchecked.

4. Geo-Specific Challenges: Regions like China and Hong Kong, while not in the top five registrars, hosted smaller but highly aggressive spam domains, particularly for phishing and financial fraud schemes.

Reflecting on the Spam Landscape of 2024

The 2024 Annual Spam Report has highlighted the evolving tactics and increasing sophistication of spam campaigns across industries and platforms. From targeted attacks on financial institutions to the exploitation of political events and emerging trends like cryptocurrency, spam has shown no signs of slowing down. By understanding its patterns and impacts, businesses and individuals can better prepare to defend against these threats.

While spam remains a persistent challenge, the insights from this report empower organizations to take proactive measures, including enhanced security protocols, user education, and collaboration across industries. The fight against spam is ongoing, but with vigilance and innovation, we can mitigate its impact.

Looking Ahead to 2025

As we step into 2025, here are some key trends and areas to watch in the evolving spam landscape:

1. Increased Use of AI in Spam Campaigns

Spammers are likely to adopt advanced AI tools to craft more convincing and personalized spam messages, making detection harder. AI-driven phishing emails and deepfake-based scams could become more prevalent.

2. Greater Exploitation of IoT Devices

The growing adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) devices opens new vulnerabilities. Spammers may use insecure IoT networks for botnet activity and spam distribution.

3. Crypto Spam Evolution

As cryptocurrency adoption expands, so too will scams targeting this space. Expect more elaborate schemes aimed at defrauding investors and exploiting blockchain technologies.

4. Environmental Impacts of Spam

With global attention on sustainability, the environmental cost of spam—such as energy consumption by data centers hosting spam activity—may gain more visibility and push organizations toward greener cybersecurity solutions.

5. Stricter Global Regulations

Governments worldwide are likely to enact stricter data protection and cybersecurity laws to curb spam and cybercrime. Businesses will need to stay compliant while adapting to these changes.

Final Thoughts

The battle against spam is far from over. As spammers refine their techniques, organizations and individuals must stay vigilant and adapt their defenses. By fostering collaboration across industries, embracing cutting-edge technology, and staying informed about emerging threats, we can reduce spam’s reach and its impact.

Let’s make 2025 a year of proactive spam prevention, ensuring a safer and more secure digital environment for everyone.