system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Whenever I receive an email from a friend's hacked email account it always contains a link. How does the hacker benefit from sending these links? And if these links are meant to earn the hackers money then why can't they be used to track down the hacker?

Edit: Once agin I've become aware of how ignorant I am of the inner workings of the interwebs. But I've also been reminded of how much I appreciate the ELI5 community.

Here's what I've come to understand:
1) Email accounts are generally not "hacked" per se, but are emails posing as someone I know. 
2) The links contained in the email are usually aimed at phishing or installing malware. 
3) Resulting malware is used to either gain personal info or add the computer to a botnet. 
4) The botnet (which contains the newly infected computer) is then sold to criminals who will then use it to mask themselves while performing their nefarious activities.
gpt
The link points to a server that will download malicious software to your computer.  Depending on the nature of the malware your ID information could be captured, your computer could be used without your permission for activities which you do not support, along with a variety of other issues.  The different things that malware can do allow money to be earned by the bad guy.