Spammer arrested
 

FROM YAHOO.COM

Man described as a top spammer arrested By GENE JOHNSON, AP Legal Affairs Writer
2 hours, 20 minutes ago



SEATTLE - A 27-year-old man described as one of the world's most prolific spammers was arrested Wednesday, and federal authorities said computer users across the Web could notice a decrease in the amount of junk e-mail.

Robert Alan Soloway is accused of using networks of compromised "zombie" computers to send out millions upon millions of spam e-mails.

"He's one of the top 10 spammers in the world," said Tim Cranton, a Microsoft Corp. lawyer who is senior director of the company's Worldwide Internet Safety Programs. "He's a huge problem for our customers. This is a very good day."

A federal grand jury last week returned a 35-count indictment against Soloway charging him with mail fraud, wire fraud, e-mail fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering.

Soloway pleaded not guilty Wednesday afternoon to all charges after a judge determined that — even with four bank accounts seized by the government — he was sufficiently well off to pay for his own lawyer.

He has been living in a ritzy apartment and drives an expensive Mercedes convertible, said prosecutor Kathryn Warma. Prosecutors are seeking to have him forfeit $773,000 they say he made from his business, Newport Internet Marketing Corp.

A public defender who represented him for Wednesday's hearing declined to comment.

Prosecutors say Soloway used computers infected with malicious code to send out millions of junk e-mails since 2003. The computers are called "zombies" because owners typically have no idea their machines have been infected.

He continued his activities even after Microsoft won a $7 million civil judgment against him in 2005 and the operator of a small Internet service provider in Oklahoma won a $10 million judgment, prosecutors said.

U.S. Attorney Jeff Sullivan said Wednesday that the case is the first in the country in which federal prosecutors have used identity theft statutes to prosecute a spammer for taking over someone else's Internet domain name. Soloway could face decades in prison, though prosecutors said they have not calculated what guideline sentencing range he might face.

The investigation began when the authorities began receiving hundreds of complaints about Soloway, who had been featured on a list of known spammers kept by The Spamhaus Project, an international anti-spam organization.

The Santa Barbara County, Calif., Department of Social Services said it was spending $1,000 a week to fight the spam it was receiving, and other businesses and individuals complained of having their reputations damaged when it appeared spam was originating from their computers.

"This is not just a nuisance. This is way beyond a nuisance," Warma said.

Soloway used the networks of compromised computers to send out unsolicited bulk e-mails urging people to use his Internet marketing company to advertise their products, authorities said.

People who clicked on a link in the e-mail were directed to his Web site. There, Soloway advertised his ability to send out as many as 20 million e-mail advertisements over 15 days for $495, the indictment said.

The Spamhaus Project rejoiced at his arrest.

"Soloway has been a long-term nuisance on the Internet — both in terms of the spam he sent, and the people he duped to use his spam service," organizers wrote on Spamhaus.org.

Soloway remained in federal detention pending a hearing Monday.


:smash:

I hope they lock that SOB up for a long time!

Where's a tree? I have a rope.

If nobody bought anything because of a spammed advertisement, the practice would cease.

But they clearly do; it's very evident that the spammed stock tips generate a whole lot of volume on otherwise very bad investments. What are people thinking?

I'll never understand folks who sit and listen to telephone solicitors or respond to spam... Can anyone really be that lonely?

No trees around here -- will a rattlesnake pit do?

Oh hell yeah!

i don't know what the big deal with spam is.

that's what the spam filters are for right?

he's providing a service (in this case, spam) and people are willing to pay for it. it's a nuisance to all of us, but so are a number of other things that are just part of living.

i try not to sweat the small stuff...spam is small stuff, catching a spammer is smaller stuff. whatever floats yall's boat i guess.

His service relies on other people paying the bill. Email is not free, and people who send mass emails create most of the costs, which are growing exponentially.

If the cost of each advertisement were borne by the sender (like the USPS) rather than by the recipient (as is the case with email), I would have the same view that you just espoused.

So that's why I only had 5 online cheap $2.00 Viagra/Cialis emails this morning instead of the usual 15-20?? :eek::eek:Now, we have a spam firewall that catches most (90%) of this stuff, but enough gets thru to get yer goat in the AM, know what I mean?

Hang him, or better yet put him in a cell where he has to view a screen 24/7 showing nothing but this junk he's been sending, (with an audio voiceover, naturally.);):D

your point is well taken. thanks.

There is a God.

That's because you aren't paying for it. Or at least, you don't see the cost on your bill so you assume you are not paying for it. Every piece of spam mail takes up space. So, the servers have to be upgraded and what not because of this issue. People have to install spam filters on the networks ($$) because of it. We have to have spam filters because of it ($). Also, the program he has hijacks our computers. Kinda like me talking your car for a joyride at night while you sleep.

If spammers can be arrested/prosecuted, I assume telephone solicitors can be shot on sight, right?

I understand it perfectly.

I can explain it if you like..........