Man Arrested for Cyber Extortion Using Spam Scam

Anthony Digati, aged 52 and resident of California, was accused of extorting New York Life, (an insurance firm) after he had apparently warned the company that he would send its customers social-networking e-mails and spam messages.

Detail reports about the spam scam reveal that through the use of numerous web-postings and e-mails, Digati apparently threatened a member of the board, executives and employees of New York Life that their company should give him $198,303.88 otherwise he would ruin their reputation. Digati specified the time period by which the money should be given, as reported by Theregister on March 8, 2010.

Digati e-mailed to the firm stating that he would start the spam scheme on March 8, 2010.

He threatened that he would send junk e-mails to over 6 Million people. The messages would carry web-links to a site, which greatly criticized the insurance firm's various products.

Digati further stated that he was an extremely proficient 'social networker' and would send messages to over 200,000 contacts. The messages would slam the insurance company members' integrity via leading the e-mail recipients on the particular site shortly, as reported by TheRegister on March 8, 2010.

The threat by Digati to the insurance firm aggrieved New York Life so much that it sought the Federal Bureau of Investigation's help in preserving the company from the malicious spam operator.

Digati's appearance before the magistrate judge of a federal court was fixed for March 8, 2010. As per court documents, he is sentenced to a maximum of 2 years in jail along with a probable penalty of $250,000, if proved guilty.

The charges outlined in court documents indicate the modern-day blackmailers' capabilities via just the pressing of a few keys for dispatching messages to innumerable people.

Commenting on the basis of Digati's case, security researchers say that during the past ten years, it has become increasingly common to have cyber criminals demand ransom by threatening to malign individuals' or companies' images, or to attack websites. Indeed, companies should necessarily maintain an intact cyber security so that cyber extortionists do not succeed at the very outset.

Related article: Man Sues and Wins against ISP for Spamming Mail

» SPAMfighter News - 3/16/2010