Phishing cons are getting more sophisticated all the time

Analysis of junk mail shows that many messages exploit the hopes, fears and faiths of users to snare victims.

Spam offering pills and cures now accounts for 47% of messages analysed by filtering firm Clearswift.

Analysts say these tactics of "social engineering" are the greatest internet security risk over the next 10 years.

Serious side

Clearswift analysed 19,000 spam e-mail messages and found that increasing numbers were designed to catch people out by playing on the foibles of human personality.

Some appeal to greed by offering the latest "Rolex" watch at a bargain price. Others prey on the na�ve by carefully mimicking the look and feel of messages and websites of well-known banks.

These so called phishing scams try to convince users to hand over their online bank details.

Using other well designed and carefully written messages, criminals try to persuade unaware people to click on a link or open a malicious attachment file.

One junk message even offers Christian mortgages in an attempt to shore up its credibility.

SPAM BY SUBJECTS Healthcare: 46.9% Direct Products: 20.8% Finance: 10.2% Scams: 7.1% Pornography: 6.9% Gambling: 0.5% Others: 7.6% Source: Clearswift, October 2004

Some e-mails use subject lines such as "your account details" that are easy to spot, but others are harder to see through. Many people have found that one wrong click opens the door for a deluge of more spam and viruses.

"It makes sense for spammers to target our weak spots," said Alyn Hockey, technical director of Clearswift.

"Though their success rate remains minimal, their constantly evolving tricks means organisations have to increasingly rely on robust e-mail security software to filter out their rubbish,"he said.

With the upcoming Christmas season, online security experts recommend internet users to take extra precautions, not only with e-mail but also with suspicious e-cards.