Fighting malware and spam

MySpace latest to sue spammer Wallace

Social site takes on notorious junk mail merchant.

Serial spammer Sanford 'Spamford' Wallace faces yet another lawsuit, this time from hugely popular social networking site MySpace, which alleges he used vast numbers of user logins to the site, created by automated systems, to bombard genuine users with junk messages carrying advertising and phishing attempts.

The case, filed in a Los Angeles court, alleges Wallace not only contravened MySpace usage rules, but also California anti-spam and anti-phishing laws and the CAN-SPAM act, which insists on legitimate contact and opt-out information on all bulk messaging.

'We hear all to often of the same people and companies being sued for their spamming activities,' said John Hawes, Technical Consultant at virus Bulletin. 'This sort of recidivism strongly suggests that current controls don't go far enough, and that tougher legislation is required to ensure people are properly discouraged from engaging in this sort of anti-social and often criminal activity, and that once they are caught spamming they are properly punished and prevented from repeat offending.'

Wallace, one of the biggest spammers of the late 1990s, was last heard of two years ago, when he was sued by the FTC for his pushing of spyware, adware and rogue anti-spyware products. MySpace has a history of taking on those who abuse its system, including a recent case brought against 'Spam King' Scott Richter.

30 March 2007

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