Spam speed cam scam and 'miracle cure' hit new lows

With the Christmas party season fast approaching spammers are seizing upon the likelihood of increased policing on the roads by offering drivers ways to beat speed cameras.

And as if encouraging road users to drive dangerously and break the law wasn't enough, many bulk mailers are also pushing the boundaries of taste and preying on the sick with a campaign offering antidotes to terminal illnesses such as cancer and HIV.

Again it seems a particularly timely campaign - with World AIDS Day on 1 December publicity around the issue is increasing - and further proof that spammers are constantly tailoring their campaigns to exploit topical subjects.

Natasha Staley, information analyst at MessageLabs, said: "We are seeing a lot of speed camera spam. I'd say the spammers are fully aware that speed cameras have plenty of film in them at this time of year. Safe driving campaigns are always run around Christmas and drivers who break the law are aggressively targeted by TV advertising."

Staley believes the spammers are using that publicity to their advantage.

The product in question appears to be a gel to obscure car licence plates, though of course for those foolish enough to be buy such products from spammers there is the caveat that it may never even arrive.

After all spammers have never been at the forefront of reputable businesses, however, John Cheney, CEO of BlackSpider believes they have hit new lows with the advertisement of cures for HIV and cancer.

Called 'The Antidote' the email campaign claims the product "kills all known deadly viruses and bacteria". It even backs up its claims with a report which it says comes from the BBC - giving the appearance of authenticity to the scam. Of course the claims are a cruel deception.

"The spammers are picking on vulnerable people who out of desperation may be tricked into buying whatever products are being offered," said Cheney. "However unlikely it seems they may see the email as offering a ray of hope."

Cheney believes campaigns such as 'The Antidote', the traffic cam scams and the Rolex watches which flooded inboxes last month, show a move towards establishing proper "marketing campaigns".

Rather than switching tack to avoid filtering the spammers are actually tailoring their campaigns to target what is 'hot' at any one time.

"These campaigns typically last anywhere between a couple of weeks and a couple of months and then they are gone and the spammers have moved onto something else."