The iOS Spammers Top Ten(-ish)


When there's a gold rush, I have long been a believer of selling shovels. Sure, I make less money than most (and I've lost more, too!) but, over the long term, I've been employed for the last 20 years making console games, education technology, and web sites, that have been enjoyed by millions of people every day. I used to think the 'shovel' of iOS was Apple. But if my spam folder is to be believed, the 'shovel' is with spammers and marketroids.

You see, every iOS app I release (either for myself, or a client) I get a bunch of spam (as defined by the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003.) Since this address is only used for iOS I know the source.



The chart is as follows:


31% yourappreport.com

  • Offering an app marketing report and SEO for apps.

  • Rougly split between two separate emails accounts, which almost feel like they're trying to legitmize their business with a good spammer/bad spammer vibe.

  • Says the usual 'Click here to unsubcribe', despite the fact I never subscribed to anything of theirs. Ever.



27% mail.vresp.com

  • Various offerings

  • Given that there's no website, it looks like a free mail service which - obviously - is used by all companies wanted to make a serious business offer!

  • I've had separate mails from AppDictions@ (marketing), Mobile_PRwire@ and CR_Digital_Design@ in roughly equal measure.



13% skillzdev.com

  • A currency tournament platform

  • They always open with "I bet $1 I can beat you at... [insert product here]"

  • Always dear to my heart, since they were the first spammers to contact me after my first iOS game was released. They're obviously oblivious to the concept of research given the scope of my app, and the service they were offering.



7% kryptonsoft.com

  • Porting service from iOS to android and tablet

  • They start with "Greetings of the day!!" because they're too lazy to mail merge with the day of the week. Also, complete lack of research to determine which platforms the app was released upon.


6% appmarketermagazine.com

  • Standard marketroid emails

  • The email was so dull I almost fell asleep. Was tempted to email them back offering my consultancy in this area!



6% promoarrow.com

  • SEO for apps

  • Obviously such a good SEO company that I should use them immediately... except I'd never heard of them, or anything they've promoted. Which kinda makes it a bad SEO company.



5% appstorereviewerpr@gmail.com

  • Video reviews

  • Again - public email, and a service that sounds like it'd get blocked if Apple knew about it.




The outlier

6% headsinternational.com

  • A recruiter (looking for cloud experience)

  • Given the timing, it must have been triggered from a kids games about mosquitos... not sure of the connection, myself!