Jun 1, 2007 : Spam King Arrested with Fraud
📅 - A Seattle, Washington-based man dubbed by authorities as the "spam king" has been arrested on 35 charges of fraud, identity theft and money laundering this week.
According to reports, 27-year-old Robert A. Soloway allegedly ran an illegal network of computers around the world, secretly controlling the machines of thousands of unsuspecting bystanders and sending out bulk spam emails with their accounts.
Authorities believe that Soloway was able to cover his digital tracks by using at least 50 Web site names and registering some of them through Chinese Internet service providers.
Spamhaus, a European organization that fights spam, says Soloway has been spamming since he was a teenager and is one of the longest-running online criminals. Spamhaus had included him on its list of the 10 worst spammers until last year, when he was overtaken by more-sophisticated operators, primarily in Russia and Ukraine.
In the past, Microsoft won a $7.8 million judgment against him in 2005 for sending emails that falsely appeared to come from MSN and Hotmail addresses. Although prosecutors say he has been living in a luxury apartment and driving a Mercedes convertible, Microsoft was never able to collect on the judgment because the company could not locate his bank accounts. In a separate case that year, an Oklahoma businessman won a $10 million judgment against Soloway for breaking the law regulating spam but was also unable to collect.
According to reports, 27-year-old Robert A. Soloway allegedly ran an illegal network of computers around the world, secretly controlling the machines of thousands of unsuspecting bystanders and sending out bulk spam emails with their accounts.
Authorities believe that Soloway was able to cover his digital tracks by using at least 50 Web site names and registering some of them through Chinese Internet service providers.
Spamhaus, a European organization that fights spam, says Soloway has been spamming since he was a teenager and is one of the longest-running online criminals. Spamhaus had included him on its list of the 10 worst spammers until last year, when he was overtaken by more-sophisticated operators, primarily in Russia and Ukraine.
In the past, Microsoft won a $7.8 million judgment against him in 2005 for sending emails that falsely appeared to come from MSN and Hotmail addresses. Although prosecutors say he has been living in a luxury apartment and driving a Mercedes convertible, Microsoft was never able to collect on the judgment because the company could not locate his bank accounts. In a separate case that year, an Oklahoma businessman won a $10 million judgment against Soloway for breaking the law regulating spam but was also unable to collect.
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URL source: http://www.thewhir.com/marketwatch/060107_Spam_King_Arrested_with_Fraud.cfm
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