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According to AOL, one of the most prevalent spam subject lines in 2005 was "Donald Trump Wants You -- Please Respond." Another frequent pitch played on the belief that the tech world just gives stuff away to people in the know: "Get an Apple iPod Nano, PS3 or Xbox360 for Free."

Stock scams, phony transaction records and cheap offers for everything from pharmaceuticals to mortgages were among the other most common brands of spam in 2005.

Spam-detection experts at AOL and other companies say these pitches are emerging from tightly run scam rings that are getting more savvy at using "zombie" PCs -- regular people's computers surreptitiously compromised by viruses and other vulnerabilities -- and other methods to hide their tracks.

The best protections remain the same: Keep antivirus software up to date and don't open links or attachments in dicey-looking e-mails.