Facebook sues 'Spamford' Wallace over spam scam

Facebook has launched a lawsuit against infamous junk mail merchant Sanford "Spamford" Wallace. Wallace, along with co-defendants Las Vegas night club manager Adam Arzoomanian and Scott Shaw, face charges of violating the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003. Mediapost adds the the suit covers allegations that Wallace and his business …

[Nìall Tracey]

Facebook are suing...?

Isn't it the users who were spammed? As Facebook evidently knows who they are, will they be receiving their cut of any damages awarded?

[Anonymous Coward]

Facebook

So at last they've found a way to 'monetise' Facebook!!

It was so blindingly simple - use the vast masses of subscription-free users as bait, and sue the cr*p out of anyone who tries to spam them.

[Anonymous Coward]

Stupid 'merkins!

How are we supposed to take a country seriously when they even give their acts 'catchy' acronyms!!

[AC]

"gang allegedly hacked into accounts using phishing"

phishing != hacking !!!111oneoenone

[Mike Flugennock]

@AnonCoward 03.03.09 14:06 GMT

Speaking as a Stupid 'Merkin™, I can only heartily agree with your observation on laws in which legislators appear to have spent more time coming up with a cool acronym (CAN-SPAM, USA PATRIOT) than on the actual legislation itself.

Another kind of law that sets my bullshit alarm to clangin' is laws named after people (Adam's Law, Kendra's Law, Amber's Law), usually some over-the-top howling crap ostensibly intended to curb the kidnapping and exploitation of young children.

[Anonymous Coward]

@Facebook AC

Hey, anything that involves opening a big can 'o whoopass on spammers is good in my book, if Facebook is willing to stump up the time and legal fees.

Granted, I'd much rather be looking at Spamford Wallace through the sights of a Barrett .50 than waving a legal brief at him, as the lawyers don't seem to have as much effect.

[cynic]

But are they collecting?

Have MySpace managed to get the $230m from Spamford? Anybody know?

[RW]

The real quesion:

Why isn't Wallace inside a jail cell by now?

Or are these laws sans teeth, requiring that those victimized file civil suits while the FBI and other cops sit there and file their nails?

[Anonymous Coward]

Yep

Giving a law a "cool" acronym is pretty much a dead giveaway that the law itself is crap. The only surer sign is naming it after a dead kid.

[Jason Paul Kazarian]

Yes, But Does it Pay?

The National Enquirer, USA's Sun equivalent, always found it more profitable to print dirt on celebrities, pay the fine, and pocket the difference.

Spamford's been around for a long, long time. He has a history of getting sued and losing. Perhaps in the end he's still making a profit.

[Nameless Faceless Computer User]

Lock him up already

Lock him up, clip his connection, confiscate his computers. People have been sent to prison for far less. Why is this guy still making headlines?