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Spammers have created scores of bogus profiles and followed random users en masse. Each of the profiles comes complete with a sexy picture featuring an embedded message from the spammer. By embedding messages into images, spammers know that it is harder for Twitter to identify their adverts than if they were presented in plain text in a regular tweet.

“Email spammers have been using this trick for years, so it was a only a matter of time before we started seeing it on Twitter,” said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos. “Connecting with these spammers by adding them as a friend on MSN, could lure Twitter users into a flirtatious instant messaging chat, ultimately leading to an adult website. While some Twitter users might be flattered to discover they have so many new followers, making friends with strangers online is always going to be a risky business."