The firms are working together to identify the architects of
these schemes and to test possible technical solutions that would
make it more difficult to deliver fraudulent and deceptive e-mail
to consumers.
Microsoft and Amazon.com have jointly sued a Canadian spamming
operation allegedly responsible for sending millions of deceptive
e-mail messages. The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court in
Seattle, alleges that Ontario-based Gold Disk Canada, its operator
Barry Head and his two sons, Eric and Matthew, mounted illegal and
deceptive spamming campaigns that misused Microsoft's MSN Hotmail
services and forged the name of Amazon.com.
Amazon.com also announced that it had filed another three
lawsuits against unidentified defendants allegedly involved in
phishing schemes designed to defraud Amazon.com customers. Such
schemes involve copycat web sites that appear official but exist
only to fish for the financial details of visitors. Generally,
visitors are driven to the site by spoofed e-mails.
Microsoft also revealed that it has sued against Leo Radvinsky
and his Chicago-based businesses Activsoft and Cybertania, along
with several additional unidentified defendants against whom
Amazon.com filed suit in August 2003.
The lawsuit alleges that Radvinsky sent millions of illegal and
deceptive e-mail messages to MSN Hotmail customers, including
messages that were falsely labelled as coming from Amazon.com.
"The best way to stop spammers and phishers is to hit them hard
in the pocketbook," said Washington Attorney General Christine
Gregoire. "I am pleased to see Microsoft and Amazon.com team up and
use our laws as they were intended. They pose a powerful legal
threat and will send a strong message that there will be a high
cost to pay for those who flood our mail boxes with irritating,
offensive and fraudulent junk mail."
