Trio accused of internet spam trade
Updated on 15 October 2008
One of the world's biggest email spam operations has been smashed by police in New Zealand.
Three men have been arrested accused of being part of a ring that sent billions of emails in recent years encouraging people to click on websites that used false claims to peddle prescription drugs, "male enhancement" products and weight-loss pills.
New Zealand's Department of Internal Affairs claims company director Shane Atkinson, his brother Lance Atkinson and an associate Roland Smits were involved in sending more than two million spam emails to New Zealand addresses alone between September and December 2007.
Lance Atkinson is also subject to a US Federal Trade Commission complaint in the US District Court that names several Americans involved in the ring.
Under New Zealand anti-spam laws, the activity is not criminal and carries no prison term but the men are being sued in civil court by the department.
In a statement of claim filed in New Zealand's High Court, the department claims the trio earned more than £1 million in sales commissions from the global operation.
The department alleges Shane Atkinson was co-manager of the Genbucks Affiliate Program and that Lance Atkinson, trading under the name of Sancash, recruited and paid spammers to market Genbucks products, adult sex toys and replica watches.
It said Roland Smits registered the domain names used in the Sancash spam emails and created alternative subject lines used to avoid interception by Internet service providers' spam filtering software.
The emails marketed pharmaceutical products manufactured and shipped by Tulip Lab of India.
The defendants have 30 days to lodge a defence to the claim, and are expected to face civil trial next year.
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