In 2000, many users would receive an email with the subject “ILOVEYOU”. The email contained a text saying “Kindly check the attached LOVELETTER coming from me” and attached was a malicious script, which could cause damages to files on the infected computer as well as taking advantage of the address book in Microsoft Windows for further spreading.
“ILOVEYOU” or “Love Letter” was not the first mass-mailing worm, in the late 90’s many organizations were also affected by the “Melissa virus” and “Happy99”. But the “Love Letter” virus was undoubtedly the one which affected most computers globally and was also used as an inspiration by Pet Shop Boys’ song “Email”, released in 2002. More importantly, it is fair to say that “ILOVEYOU” was one of the first examples of how social-engineering could play a vital role in cybercrime.
