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Washington State AG Files Lawsuit Under Computer Spyware Act

On February 8, 2007, Washington State Attorney General, Rob McKenna declared a lawsuit charging three California-based online affiliate advertisers and their companies. 'All American Patriots' published the news, the same day.

The lawsuit accuses the organizations and their executives namely Secure Link Networks LLC and Manuel Corona Jr; NJC Softwares LLC and Rudy O. Corella; and FixWinReg and HoanVinh V. Nguyenphuoc of delivering to consumers' inboxes "Not Send" messages that resemble system warnings of Windows. The defendants face charges of sending these messages anonymously that activate warnings on Windows operating system, while pass bundled software that modifies the home pages of browsers. The process also markets registry-cleaner programs by using fraudulent free scans.

The deceptive messages claim to single out system errors and instruct consumers that mislead them to buy registry-scanning programs to mend the problems, said the Attorney General's Office.

In the process, hundreds of consumers in Washington have bought the defendants' products. Authorities have blamed the culprits of violating the Computer spyware Act and Consumer Protection Act of the state.

According to McKenna, online advertisers and product marketers will not be allowed to treat the Web wildly and use it to transmit anything. He said Washington State is taking ahead the fight against Internet fraud and it will keep on prosecuting companies and individuals attempting to cheat consumers or cause them harm.

Affiliate campaigners get a percentage of the sale price of the product they market to encourage consumers' interest to a particular website. Although they hide their identity, McKenna claims his office can hunt down both the marketers and sellers of the products.

McKenna accuses Secure Links Network LLC, NJC Softwares LLC and FixWinReg to conduct seven acts of violation of the two laws. These are purposely misguiding towards the need for spyware and misinforming consumers about the spyware's performance.

The lawsuit has been filed in King County Superior Court and could demand fines to the maximum of $100,000 for every act of violation of the Computer spyware Act and $2,000 for every act of violation of the Consumer Protection Laws, said the Office of the Attorney General.

Related article: Wisconsin Credit Union Members Receive phishing E-Mails

» SPAMfighter News - 2/22/2007

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