CHICAGO (AFP) - A college student who led a massive spam e-mail operation has been fined more than 10 million dollars, the Texas attorney general said.
"Spam e-mail is not only pervasive in our society but is one of the most aggravating problems computer users face," Attorney General Greg Abbott said in a statement Wednesday.
"Today's crackdown effectively shuts down one of the worst spam operators and sends a warning to others who would engage in spam e-mailing for profit."
The former student, Ryan Pitylak, 24, and partners Mark Trotter, Gary Trappler and Alan Refaeli bombarded consumers with millions of e-mails under at least 250 assumed names, the attorney general said.
The e-mails tricked consumers into revealing personal information that was later sold to other companies despite assurances of privacy.
Pityalak was once listed as the fourth-worst spammer in the world.
The judgment was hailed by cyberspace experts who said it shows that the 2004 federal Can-Spam Act, which outlaws certain types of e-mail solicitation, is working.
"From the reports I've seen, I'd say 10 million dollars is an appropriate number, given all the misery he caused," John Levine, author of "Fighting Spam for Dummies" told the San Antonio Express.
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