"I just want you to f*** me. Can you?"
See how quickly that earned your attention? Now, imagine if it was the actual headline and commanded even more power. You might just click the link based on the title alone. That's exactly what they're betting on.
Cyber criminals are using the above come-on (and more) as the subject in e-mails loaded with more than just steamy promises. And just like unprotected sex, opening them could leave you with something nasty.
Cyber security company Sophos broke the news about a recent spat of erotically-charged messages and their malicious cargo at its Naked Security blog on Tuesday. The scheme is not necessarily new and original, but its continued existence means one thing: it works.
Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos, said the rash of infected e-mails "use sleazy slutty language to trick red-blooded men into opening the attached file."
That's one way to describe the phrases that adorn the subject line, which in the past have also included: "I was photographed naked for you. Want to see?"; "Want to spank me? For you, I'm ready for anything"; and "Hello. It's your naughty little girl."
Some of the more recent attempts miss the sexy mark completely and just come across as comical. Take for example this gem: "Did you miss without me? I'm already here." Scammers better hope English majors aren't the recipients; there's nothing less sexy to us than a poorly-constructed sentence.
Joking aside, Cluley imparted words of wisdom for those less informed on this particular method of cyber attacks. (In other words, none of our readers.)
"Social engineering tricks continue to fool users into making poor decisions," he said. "Remember to always think with your head, not with your trousers."
Words to live by - especially online.
