According to recent political opinion polls, U.S. President Obama’s approval rating currently stands at 65%. It is clear that when his first 100 days in office are analyzed, spammers also view him favorably. In the last few weeks there has been a noticeable boost in the number of spam messages that use his name and popularity to promote certain spam products and services.
President Obama first became a target for spammers in 2008, when Obama and his then challenger Senator John McCain had their names linked with "portable dewrinkle machine" spam, medical product spam, and get-rich-quick spam messages. When President Obama took his campaign to Europe in July 2008, Spammers duly followed up with a spam campaign that contained links to malware. Ever since President Obama was inaugurated on January 20th 2009, spam attacks with links to his name continue to circulate.
The top 20 related subject lines that included the keywords “Barack” or “Obama” since January 20th:
1. On air! America is loosing Obama with no health care - Get meds now.2. Heard what Obama said ford health care!3. Obama's health is in danger er it.4. Obama shocked public drugs!5. Obama caught in lurid scandal 6. New!!! Obama wants legalize! 7. Obama's hypocrite new law 8. Obama: Death was near me.9. Obama is coward! Proof:10. Shocking Obama revelation Program11. Obama's wife naked!! od, get them NOW.12. New!!! Obama wants legalize! 13. Obama Proposes Trade of Executives in Primitive Swaps 14. Obama releases Loan Mod Program 15. Obama shocked 16. obama 17. Obama has OK'd Online Sale of Meds 18. Obama Allows Meds Sold Online 19. Obama OKs Sale Of Controlled Meds Online 20. Obama wants to help YOU get the meds you NEED to be healthy and feel go
It is not surprising that with the president’s sustained popularity, spammers will continue to latch on to his name in an attempt to evade antispam filters. This is yet another example of spammers trying to use current events as lures to distribute their spam messages.