Spam news

A selection of recent media items about unsolicited commercial email.

July 2009

When it Comes to Spam, Everything Old is New Again

Google reports that spam levels are up once again, and spammers are re-using old techniques such as image spam, perhaps in an attempt to probe the effectiveness of spam filters.
ReadWriteWeb -- 01.07.2009

June 2009

Botnets Churn Spam, Then Back Again

Security experts report a rise in spam originating from botnets, with botnets accounting for 80% of all spam sent.
eWeek Security Watch -- 30.06.2009

Botnets lead the way in spam charge

A study shows that spam made up 90.4 percent of all e-mail traffic in June, with botnets accounting for over 80 percent of unsolicited messages.
ZDNet Asia -- 30.06.2009

Accused Spam King Alan Ralsky Pleads Guilty

Alan Ralsky pleaded guilty on Monday to running a multi-million dollar international stock fraud scam powered by junk e-mail. Ralsky and his son-in-law face possible prison terms and fines of up to $1 million.
Washington Post -- 28.06.2009

Michael Jackson Death Spurs Spam, Viruses

Less than 24 hours after Michael Jackson's death, fraudsters are exploiting public interest to spread spam and malware. Researches have observed hundreds of cases of malicious messages masquerading as information about Jackson's death. Some popped up within minutes of the news.
PC World -- 26.06.2009

Computer spam king arrested on rape, molestation charges

Ronald Scelson, a spammer once known as the Cajun Spam King, has been arrested on charges of rape and child molestation. A raid on his offices also reportedly uncovered marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
Slidell Sentry -- 26.06.2009

Security Experts Visualize Botnets With an Eye Toward Defense

Security firm Damballa has conducted a study of botnet control architectures, to determine which ones are most susceptible to countermeasures, and has identified several distinct network topologies.
PC World -- 26.06.2009

China Remains Spam Haven Due to 'bulletproof' Hosting

An overwhelming majority of Web sites promoted through spam are hosted in China at service providers that often choose to ignore complaints and allow illegal activity, according to research from the University of Alabama.
PC World -- 26.06.2009

Will convicting five major spammers put an end to spam?

Alan Ralsky and his son-in-law Scott Bradley face possible jail sentences and large fines for their activities - but it may not make a difference.
The Guardian -- 24.06.2009

FTC shuts allegedly rogue Internet provider

The Federal Trade Commission has ordered the closure of Pricewert LLC, described as a shell company supporting illegal operations, including a service called Triple Fibre Network (3FN).
AOL -- 05.06.2009

May 2009

90 percent of e-mail is spam, Symantec says

Symantec reports that unsolicited e-mail made up 90.4 percent of messages on corporate networks last month. That represents a 5.1 percent increase over last month's numbers.
ComputerWorld -- 27.05.2009

Swine Flu spam continues to spread with cybercriminals using celebrity names

Spammers have moved to using celebrity names alongside swine flu terms to spread malicious links.
SC Magazine -- 11.05.2009

In China, $700 puts a spammer in business

Hosting services in China offer 'bulletproof' servers for spam and malware hosting for as little as $700.
ComputerWorld -- 08.05.2009

April 2009

Spam overwhelms e-mail messages

A report from Microsoft claims that spam accounts for 97% of all email. The vast majority, however, is never delivered.
BBC News -- 08.04.2009

March 2009

2 Houston-area men settle civil charges over penny stocks

Darrel and Jack Uselton have settled civil charges that they bought penny stocks and sent massive amounts of spam promoting the stocks. Darrel Uselton will pay a total of $3.8 million in restitution and penalties.
Houston Chronicle -- 18.03.2009

Suggestions for news items to add (including URLs) can be sent to me using the contact form.


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