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August 02, 2005

For years I've seen dribs and drabs of life insurance spam, but in the past week or so, the level directed this way has increased. The types of messages have a similar smell to those that offer mortgages. We all know that the mortgage spammers are not mortgage brokers or lenders, but, rather, lead generators. The lead generators, in turn, sell the leads to the brokers and lenders, who have been frequently documented (in legal filings) to pay tens of dollars per lead.

So, that "leads" me to wonder if this rash of life insurance spam is working on the same principle: obtaining leads for insurance brokers who don't want to know how the leads were obtained.

I now feel in the position of the character played by Robert DeNiro in "Meet the Parents" and sequel, where he plays a retired CIA agent who is keeping an eye on his future son-in-law (played by Ben Stiller). DeNiro does this gesture where he points to his own eyes and then points to Stiller, indicating "I'm watching you."