From: Michael Lorrey (retroman@together.net)
Date: Wed Sep 30 1998 - 11:04:48 MDT
As you all probably know, the list has been receiving a lot of spam over the last
few months. The spammers are also apparently sending the same messages to
individual list members. I have noticed that almost all of the recent spams have
included email addresses in the text of the message which are on the juno.com
servers. One reason why so many spammers use services like juno is that it is
easy to set up an email account, and juno's email is also free in many areas of
the country, and pretty cheap in others.
I have contacted juno's 'postmaster' several times in response, but always get
canned automated responses, and there seems to be no actions being taken to limit
spammers from using juno servers. In response to this, I've started taking two
strategies which I suggest others on the list do as well in hopes of finally
getting some sort of respose to remedy the situation. They are based on the idea
that since juno is doing nothing to prevent spammers from using accounts with
them for spamming, that juno is in collusion with spammers who engage in theft of
electronic services (i.e. wasting my time and bandwidth). Considering the volume
of this theft, Juno can fall under the RICO Act statutes.
Strategy 1: Charge fees: As some on the list may know, I charge a $250.00 fee for
processing unsolicited commercial email messages. Every time I receive a spam
which uses a juno account in the body of the message as a response email address,
I send a bill to juno's postmaster for $250.00. Their account balance is now
$1500.00. I've given them three days to refuse charges on each instance, and 30
days to pay the charges, and will impose a 18.5% finance charge for balances due
over 30 days.
Strategy 2: I warn juno in each message that they are in violation of RICO Act
statues by colluding with perpetrators of theft of electronic services.
Apparently, there are means of civil redress under the RICO Act, where a person
or persons can sue violators of the RICO Act. I am currently researching what it
would take to file a class action lawsuit against juno.com on these grounds.
Anyone here is welcome to become in volved in this effort. If you are interested
in getting in on this lawsuit, respond to me at: rico-lawsuit@lorrey.com. Please
provide a zip file with text copies of all spam messages you have received
related to juno.com to add to the evidence files.
Thanks,
Mike Lorrey
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