http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6707333.stm [news.bbc.co.uk]

According to prosecutors, Mr Soloway was responsible for tens of millions of unsolicited e-mails promoting his own company between November 2003 and May 2007.

Anything less than a hanging is too lenient.

Haha, good! Nice to know they occasionally actually catch these guys.

You know who they should really arrest? All the f***tards who keep buying that crap! All the bald, small-breasted, tiny-floppy-penised, depressed, overweight, gullible get-rich-quick freakin' losers that make that sort of spamming worth while!

There'd be no point in those bastards spamming me if some other bastard wasn't actually buying all that crap from them...

Personally, I really wouldn't care if he got arrested or not, because I, for one, don't answer those kind of e-mails (which are obviously transmitting viruses).

ozoneocean
You know who they should really arrest? All the f***tards who keep buying that crap! All the bald, small-breasted, tiny-floppy-penised, depressed, overweight, gullible get-rich-quick freakin' losers that make that sort of spamming worth while!

There'd be no point in those bastards spamming me if some other bastard wasn't actually buying all that crap from them...

no one is buying anything...

Someone
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.

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.

How heavy a sentence do you think he's gonna get?

subcultured
no one is buying anything...

Yes there are you silly head! How do you think spammers make money?

Some might try and get your identity maybe... by tricking you into trying to BUY stuff. But the whole point of the thing is to be able to send out a massive amount junkmail untraceabley using botnets so you'll be able to see some return from the few fools who actually buy the stuff.
-Also, some groups who control botnets make money by renting them out to spammers, hackers or whatever.

Jebus, you guys think it's all about viruses? duh... Viruses are sort of a means to an end in this case. The end is being able to make money of idiots, one way or another.

Spammers suck, nuff said.

ozoneocean

subcultured
no one is buying anything...

Yes there are you silly head! How do you think spammers make money?

Some might try and get your identity maybe... by tricking you into trying to BUY stuff. But the whole point of the thing is to be able to send out a massive amount junkmail untraceabley using botnets so you'll be able to see some return from the few fools who actually buy the stuff.
-Also, some groups who control botnets make money by renting them out to spammers, hackers or whatever.

Jebus, you guys think it's all about viruses? duh... Viruses are sort of a means to an end in this case. The end is being able to make money of idiots, one way or another.

no, it's identity fraud, no one is buying anything...

I am glad they caught this person. I bet an interview would be fascinating though (why, how, etc).

Um, I don't think you "get" how this stuff works... You see, They can charge him with identity theft because essentially that's what he's doing when he takes control over other people's computers to send spam from them.

Also, some spammers use their spam products as a lure for people to enter their details into phishing sites- a good way to steal identities- but that's generally called just plain "phishing", not spam. ;)

There seems to be this misconception that the whole spam operation is about sending virus e-mails to steal identities from people's computers and then make money from them? Yeah, it's actually easier just to make the money from botnets, spam (that people buy stuff from) and phishing.

umm yea i do know how this stuff works.
so don't tell me i don't, that's just rude

Is sending spam itself illegal?
I didn't know that.

subcultured
umm yea i do know how this stuff works.
so don't tell me i don't, that's just rude

Ok Sub, I didn't mean to be rude to you, but you did dispute what I said initially about people buying stuff from spammers, the whole point of my explanation is to show that this does actually happen; to show what I was initially talking about. But if you know that, then I don't need to explain. :)

Friends?

GUYS WE ARE ALL FRIENDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!NO SPAM "N!!!!!!!!!

that kid yellow
GUYS WE ARE ALL FRIENDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!NO SPAM "N!!!!!!!!!

Phantom Penguin
Is sending spam itself illegal?
I didn't know that.

Neither did I, but thank the Gods it is.

Sending it from PCs you've over taken and pretending it's from their real owners is anyway... That seems to be the case. Other than that I'll withdraw because I seem to have become too snippy.

Sorry if I sounded tetchy back there :(

Finally! Now we can stop worrying about that sodium/cholesterol laced Mystery Meat clogging up our arteries and giving us high blood pressure!

Waitaminute... That's not the Spam we're talking about?

I bet he'll be the one "receiving" plenty of "spam" in his "email box" in prison , if ya know what I'm talking about.. Heh heh heh heh....

PS I'm talking about anal rape.

Man I started laughing, then I scrolled down and red your PS and immediately stopped laughing. You didn't need to tell us, that totally killed the joke!

Anyway, enjoy the spam-freeness while it lasts. I'm sure they'll be another guy in a few days,

I'm glad a bastard like that was caught...

I hope he drops the soap.

A lot.

He's not the only one out there you know?

hat
Man I started laughing, then I scrolled down and red your PS and immediately stopped laughing. You didn't need to tell us, that totally killed the joke!

I know, I just have trouble going through a post without using the term "anal rape." Creepy, eh?

Anyway, enjoy the spam-freeness while it lasts. I'm sure they'll be another guy in a few days,

Considering his emails only numbered in the tens of millions and there are more people online who get spam in their inbox daily, I'd have to say he's not the only source of spam on the net. Hell, he's not even the biggest source of spam on the net.

it'll prolly worry other spammers

subcultured
it'll prolly worry other spammers

If the "65 years in prison" deters even a few other would-be mass spammers, it's worth it. Although, I think the punishment should be way higher. Can they bring drawing and quartering back?

Someone
I bet he'll be the one "receiving" plenty of "spam" in his "email box" in prison , if ya know what I'm talking about.. Heh heh heh heh....

I was laughing because it sounded like a "if you know what I mean" routine from Whose Line Is It Anyways, until you decided to kill your own joke.

Although, I think the punishment should be way higher.

Send the guy to China so they can execute him like they did with their FDA czar.

ozoneocean
You know who they should really arrest? All the f***tards who keep buying that crap! All the bald, small-breasted, tiny-floppy-penised, depressed, overweight, gullible get-rich-quick freakin' losers that make that sort of spamming worth while!

There'd be no point in those bastards spamming me if some other bastard wasn't actually buying all that crap from them...

You just accurately stated my feelings about this.

I wonder how much money there really is to be made out of spamming.

Hell i'd do it.