What is a spamtrap operator?

A spamtrap operator maintains addresses that should never receive legitimate email. Mail arriving at these addresses exposes list abuse, scraping, or poor hygiene. Operators such as Spamhaus and Abusix maintain both pristine traps (addresses that never belonged to any real person) and recycled traps (old abandoned mailboxes repurposed as traps after long inactivity). These hidden buoys float silently in the water, revealing which ships are sailing recklessly.