Prolific spammer found dead

Police investigate murder of Russian spammer

The Times Online reports that one of Russia's most infamous spammers has been found dead in his apartment.

The body of 35-year-old Vardan Kushnir, who had spent years spamming users with advertisements for his American Language Centre, was found by police earlier this week, having apparently been beaten to death.

Despite the fact that, in 2003, Andrei Korotkov, Russia's then Communications Minister, bombarded Kushnir's office with a thousand automated telephone calls warning 'If you continue your illegal activity, the necessary measures will be taken not just by me', the police have stated that this was not a contract killing or revenge for spam.

However, Russia's media have not passed up the chance to jump to conclusions, with various headlines reading: 'An ultimate solution to the spam problem', 'The spammer had it coming', and 'Ignoble death becomes Russia's top spammer'.

So far the police have declined to comment on a motive for the killing.

27 July 2005

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