Apple's iPod is among top ten marketing ploys used by spammers. (AOL) third annual Top 10 Spam List, released today, includes pitches for products that claim to improve physical appearance, sexual material, and offers for prescription drugs as well as free technology product offers for the iPod Nano, PS3 AND Xbox 360. This year's analysis of hundreds of billions of attempted spam messages targeting AOL's global email customers finds that spammers are using more "special order" style subject lines. In fact, six in 10 of the top subject lines this year fall into this category, compared with just two in 2004, and none in 2003. In 2005, AOL has also been blocking an average of 1.5 billion spam messages each day from reaching the email boxes of the AOL Network. The total number of spam emails blocked by AOL in 2005 reached over a half trillion (556 billion) - a slight increase over 2004.

Instead of generic pitches for products, "SOS" -- or "special order spam" -- attempts to trick the consumer by pretending to be from a friend, or part of 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.

Returning favorites on the AOL Top 10 list include

AOL's 2005 Top 10 global spam subject lines include (spam categories in parenthesis):

1. Donald Trump Wants You - Please Respond (popular recognition)
   
2. Double Standards New Product - Penis Patch (sexually oriented spam)
   
3. Body Wrap: Lose 6-20 inches in one hour (body improvement products)
   
4. Get an Apple iPod Nano, PS3 or Xbox 360 for Free (technology offers)
   
5. It's Lisa, I must have sent you to the wrong site ("personalized" correspondence)
   
6. Breaking Stock News** Small Cap Issue Poised to Triple (stock scams)
   
7. Thank you for your business. Shipment notification (77FD87) (bogus transactional spam)
   
8. (IMPORTANT) Your Mortgage Application is Ready (mortgage-related scams)
9. Thank you: Your $199 Rolex Special Included (high-end "deals")
10. Online Prescriptions Made Easy (pharmaceutical)
    

"Spammers have been on a year-long mission to mislead and deceive in 2005," said Charles Stiles, AOL's Postmaster - who helps direct AOL's 24/7/365 spam fighting unit. "While the volume of spam reaching AOL email inboxes has remained at low levels compared to it's height in late 2003, the spam that's out there is more insidious, crafty, devious, and dangerous than ever. So when it comes to protecting your in box, consumers should adopt a 'code red' mentality for 2006, because ultimately their personal identity is at stake."

AOL said that spammers - and their tactics - became more sinister, organized and sophisticated in 2005.

"What we're seeing is that spammers are far more organized and professional than ever before," added Stiles. "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. Spam gangs on the internet engaging in 'hit-and-run' spam attacks in 2004 have turned into a tightly-knit, controlled, web-based spam mafia coordinating sustained attacks on netizens in 2005."

The combination of consumer software tools, filtering technology, public policy, litigation and enforcement, and industry partnerships helped AOL stay one step ahead of the spammers throughout the year, even as they become more sophisticated. According to the company, Spam reaching AOL customer email boxes remained at low levels in 2005, with a decline of more than 75% since its peak in late 2003 (as measured by member complaints). The percentage of total email that AOL blocks as spam at the gateway reached 80% in 2005 (or, AOL is blocking 8 out of every 10 attempted emails as spam in 2005).