Gossip in subject attracts our curiousity

The fact that spammers are trying to take advantage of our curiosity to get us to read their incredible offerings is perhaps nothing new. But recently, we have noted that spammers use gossip to get the recepient interested. The contents of the spam is approximately the same as usual. Some text and a link to a site that sells Viagra, sex toys, watches or other items. In the subject line, however, there is something that attract our curiosity. For example, that Britney is involved in a new scandal, or that oil prices are on the way down. Britney and the American presidential candidates are by the way quite popular as the subject of this type of spam. They all have in common that they all usually relates to a current event.

Some examples:
Oil prices starting to DROP
Obama endorses herbal supplements
Tim Russert’s six scandal exposed at funeral
Nokia unveils revolutionary new phone design
Britney found hanged in locker room
Britney lingerie shoot
Britney in drug scandal in saint tropez
Portugal regrets not bringing herbal supplements

Spammers hope that we are more interested in the Britneys latest adventure than how their own fantastic products can help us.