Big Money Friday – Spam King to Pay $711 Million

I get a lot of spam. Luckily my email program filters it for me. It seems everyday there's some new internet impresario out there looking to fill our inboxes with useless and often malicious messages. Today one of these spammers has been put in his place. In a California District Court Sanford "Spamford" Wallace was ordered to pay $711 million in damages to Facebook. He was prosecuted under the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003.

Facebook Dethrones Spam King

Facebook wins a $711 million lawsuit against chronic spammer Sanford Wallace.

Today, a California court awarded Facebook $711 million in civil damages against Sanford Wallace, the notorious sell proclaimed "spam king" who is also known by the derisive nickname "Spamford." The court found Wallace guilty of violating the CAN-SPAM act, and he could face time in prison if convicted.

Wallace allegedly accessed Facebook accounts without obtaining permission, and used them to make bogus wall posts and spam the account holders' friends. Those actions run afoul of the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003, which sets guidelines for commercial e-mails, which are enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

See the full article here.