New York’s attorney general and Microsoft Corp. filed civil lawsuits Thursday seeking to shut down a massive e-mail “spam” operation that allegedly faked identities and manipulated computers around the world.
The lawsuits are the latest attempt by government and industry to stem the torrent of spam that experts say accounts for more than half of all e-mail sent and threatens Internet use and commerce.
While some states have enacted tough spam laws and a federal anti-spam law goes into effect next month, the flood of unwanted commercial e-mail continues as spammers find new ways to evade technical and legal barriers.
More Top Picks Does Vision Therapy Work What The Research Really Says
The case, filed with the New York Supreme Court in Manhattan, involves one of the largest spam networks, and centers on a local company called Synergy6 Inc.
The company hired another firm, OptInRealBig LLC, to send e-mails promoting Web sites where consumers were offered free items ranging from toothbrushes to diamond earrings in exchange for signing up to receive more commercial e-mail solicitations.
New York Atty. Gen. Eliot Spitzer said the e-mail campaigns overflowed with fraud, using deceptive techniques to disguise the origins of messages and dodge spam filters used by Internet providers. The companies potentially face millions of dollars in fines.
“We will drive them into bankruptcy,” Spitzer said at a news conference. Spitzer noted that the president of OptInRealBig, based in Westminster, Colo., is Scott Richter, who is widely considered one of the biggest spammers, sending about 250 million e-mail messages each day.
The New York lawsuit also names Richter, his company and a third firm, Delta Seven Communications, which is based in Plano, Texas, and allegedly sent some of the deceptive e-mail.
A message on the OptInRealBig Web site said that Richter and the company “vigorously deny any violations of New York law.”
Synergy6 had no immediate comment, said spokeswoman Dawn Derow.