Spammers under attack

Posted Jul 19th 2007 8:21AM by Kevin Kelly
Filed under: Good news, Scandals

In a move that many consider to be long overdue, the FBI appears to finally be getting serious about spammers and their corrupt and deceitful practices. According to a press report on the issue, the FBI has 70 active investigations looking into spam related crimes.

The FBI is not only targeting spammers using networks of computers to send their messages, but it's also going to start getting more aggressive with stock spam campaigns. On Tuesday, the FBI even pressed charges against two Texas stock spammers who pumped 13 different penny stocks according to reports.

Anyone with an email and any interest in finance seems to find himself loaded with spam emails promoting stocks with guaranteed growth and gains to come. In fact I received a stock-pumping email just yesterday. Below is a sample from the email received, I've left out the company's name to ensure I don't give the pumpers the attention they're craving:

This one is rocking
Current Price: *0.23*
Expected on 18 July: *0.50-0.60*

*** creates, develops and markets innovattive products addressing large national and international consumer audiences primariily through direct response TV and Internet advertising. Three of ***'s products have surpassed the $1 million gross salees milestone. *** is the innovatoor and direct response retailer of highly effective products and services includingg: ...Gain profit and Add *** to your portfolio on Wednesday July 18, 2007. You'll be stunned by the return this stock will generate for you.

You can learn several very important things to look out for in the sample above;

Oftentimes there are misspellings in the emails. These are tell-tale signs that the email hasn't been written by a legitimate service or brokerage.
Expectations of quick and easy short term gains. As you will see in the sample, the email "expected" an increase of 100-150% in one day.
Claims of unrealistically powerful products, especially for a small, unknown company. As this email went on, it made claims that the company had products to thicken men's hair, among other things.

It's scary that people actually listen to these things -- this stock, for example, rose 9% yesterday. Gullible, greedy, and novice investors are all affected by these schemes and they can hurt families, force bankruptcies, rid children of college educations, and so on. It is an evil offshoot of finance and the growth of the internet and it needs to be fixed.

Tags: FBI, Penny stock, Pump and dump, spam, stock fraud, Stock spam

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

7-19-2007 @ 11:57AM

Warren said...

Yes, but, well, it would seem to me that anyone who would actually invest in a stock tip that was mailed out to millions of other people, that they didn't ask for, and is coming from someone they don't even know - deserves to lose their money.

You have to take some personal responsibility here. Yes, the scammers are scum. But, as the same time, you're an idiot if you buy what they're pitching.

8-19-2007 @ 11:57PM

Dave said...

Spammers should be prosecuted ... for what?
How about disturbing the peace?
False advertising?
Invasion of privacy?
Stalking?
Public nuisance ... well, looking at our Politicians ... obviously that is not against the law. They would not knowingly pass a law that they break regularly.
If nothing else ... all their information should be made public ... posted on the Internet. See how forward they are when they are identified.
I do not appreciate over regulation ... I do appreciate when the American Public is protected from annonimous Low Lifes.
Just wish I, we all, had a meaningful way to retaliate.