We have received a lot of questions about SpamCop and thought it might be helpful to provide some specific information on who they are, and how you (as an email marketer) can steer clear of their traps.So here is a little Q & A that will hopefully help shed some light on the situation:Who is SpamCop?SpamCop is an authority in the Anti-Spam world and one of the leading Anti-Spam groups on the planet. They have been around since 1998 and have gained the trust and respect of virtually every ISP, ESP, SMB, including many outside filtering services such as Postini, McAfee, Brightmail and Spam Assassin. It is their job to make sure people are not sending emails to anyone that did not give their consent to receive it - that is all.What is a spam trap?Spam traps are email addresses that exist for the sole purpose of catching people sending Unsolicited Bulk Email (aka. Spam). The term "trap" is very appropriate in that these addresses are kept secret to protect their identity and do not belong to a real person, thus could never "opt-in" to any list since it is impossible for the address to initiate, respond or give consent to having received email of any kind.How does a trap get on your list?The address is harvested by scraping emails addresses off the internet without the recipient's knowledge or consent The address was part of a purchased listSomebody inadvertently or maliciously subscribed the email to a single opt-in listWhat happens if a spam trap is detected in your list?Usually, your entire subscriber list would need to be reconfirmed because the spam trap email is not an actual subscriber and would not ever confirm. This would ensure that the trap would be removed.Our top tips for avoiding Spam Cop issuesConvert your subscriber settings to "Double Opt-In".Always get permission.Never purchase or harvest third-party emails.Re-confirm lists that have been dormant more than a year.
