Readers reply: does spam email actually work?

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers' questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts

Does spam email actually work? I don't mean dodgy phishing emails, but the annoying ads and sales pitches. Presumably the answer is yes, otherwise the spammers wouldn't bother, but I find it hard to believe. Ali Farhan, Manchester

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