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| Jeremy Jaynes is said to live an affluent
lifestyle, and is alleged to be the world's eighth most prolific
spammer |
In the USA's first case under specific anti-spam laws, two North
Carolina men have been indicted in Virginia for four charges of
sending forged bulk email. If found guilty of all charges they
could face up to 20 years in jail, and fines reaching $10,000.
One of the men, Jeremy Jaynes, is said to use the alias Gaven
Stubberfield - Stubberfield has been rated by anti-spam activists
as the eighth most prolific spammer in the world.
Jaynes, 29, and his alleged accomplice, Richard Rutowski, are
said by Virginia officials to have disguised their identities when
sending thousands of emails in July and August 2003. Violating
Virginia law their emails are alleged to have used false return
addresses and routing information as they advertised low interest
mortgages, penny stocks and internet browsing software.
The indictments were returned by grand jury in Loudoun County,
Virgina, based on Virginia's state anti-spam law which took effect
on 1 July 2003. According to Virginia Attorney General Jerry W
Kilgore, the America Online network, headquartered in Loudoun
County, was used to send the bulk email.
Investigators claim that Jaynes has an affluent lifestyle, but
would not comment on how much income they believe the defendants
may have raised by their spam activity.
"Spammers go to great lengths to try and hide their identity -
'hijacking' the computers of innocent third parties, using
pseudonyms, and cloaking their point of origin," said Graham
Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos. "Anti-spam
legislation so far has done little to reduce the amount of spam
arriving in the inbox of computer users. But it is beginning to
give those who break the law to send spam a few sleepless
nights."
Sophos recommends companies protect themselves with a consolidated solution which can defend
businesses from the threats of both spam and viruses.
Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com.