AOL has announced the top 10 spam list for 2005. Special Order Spam, SOS, has topped the list.


AOL has announced the top 10 spam list for 2005. SOS has topped the list

SOS pretend to be from a friend, or a legitimate customer driven transaction.

“For example, this year’s Top 10 spam list features “Your Mortgage Application is Ready”; another claims to have sent “you to the wrong site,” and others simply say “Thank you” or “Re: ” as if they are responding to the recipient.” [click here]

AOL has also revealed that spammers are increasingly using “special order” style in the subject lines. 6 out of 10 of the top subject lines in 2005 are of the same type.

Charles Stiles, who helps direct AOL’s spam fighting unit, said, “What we’re seeing is that spammers are far more organized and professional than ever before. They are going after Mainstreet USA with ‘back alley’ tactics, and they are doing it with a specialized team that’s working overtime to hide the source of their spam by employing zombie PC’s, bot-nets and using other nefarious tactics.”[ Source]

The top global spam subject line is “Donald Trump Wants You ““ Please Respond”, which falls under the category of popular recognition. Other categories include body improvement products such as weight loss programs, technology offers, “personalized” correspondence, stock scams, bogus transactional spam, mortgage-related scams, high-end “deals” and pharmaceutical.

For examples of subject lines under the above categories and for more information, click here.

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