AOL set to run pay email scheme

THE US'S largest consumer ISP has started its controversial scheme to make people will have to pay to send AOL members email.

The scheme is on the latest AOL software versions 9.0 or higher, and AIM Mail, which will be arriving on a computer magazine near you for the next 20 years.

AOL's new service, called Certified Mail, is provided by an outfit called Goodmail. This sticks a box between the PC and the email server which puts an encrypted seal of approval on email that members have agreed to receive.

It also means that if the person wants to receive mail from a person they still can. However, it also means that mailers must go through a strict accreditation and authentication process through Goodmail. AOL says that this will ensure they conform to the highest standards for mailing practices. They have to pay Goodmail a fee to allow their messages to be sent using Certified Mail.

AOL has been a happy hunting ground for Phishing scams, mostly because its user base included a large percentage of punters who are not exactly streetwise.

The ISP has had some difficulty trying to interest its punters in anti-spam and phishing schemes. Last year a scheme called PassCode Premium Service using RSA Security SecurID tokens for a one-time cost of $9.95 tanked. µ