Spam – we’ve all heard of it, and most of us have received it. Virginia takes action against it!
Our Computer Crime Unit received international attention when it prosecuted the nation’s first felony Spam case. The defendant, Jeremy D. Jaynes, AKA “Gavin Stubberfield,” was the eighth worst Spammer in the world, according to the Registry of Known Spam Operations (ROKSO). After a two-week trial, the jury convicted Jaynes on all three counts and recommended a nine-year prison sentence. On Sept. 5, 2006, the Virginia Court of Appeals denied the Jaynes’ appeal of his conviction. He plans to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court of Virginia, and we anticipate a successful outcome.
The Computer Crime Unit continues to seek those who run afoul of Virginia’s Anti-Spam Act. The law bans the use of fraudulent means to send Spam and the transmission of obscenity over the Internet.
In addition to the up to five years sentence, the Anti-Spam Act allows prosecutors to seek forfeiture to the Commonwealth of assets accumulated by an illegal Spammer.
How can you avoid receiving unwanted Spam?
Here are a few tips:
Check privacy policies before providing your e-mail address on Web registration forms, surveys, etc. If you must provide your e-mail address, look for a box that asks if it is okay to send you offers or information. You may want to say "no" if the Web site won’t protect your address.
Request net directories such as WhoWhere.com, 411.com and Switchboard.com to remove your name, e-mail address and other personal information from their databases. Simply go to the Web site, click on the "contact us" link and request that your information be removed.
If you subscribe to a list, ask the list administrator to shield you from outside e-mail commands that allow third parties to view the list.
Where services provide for member profiles, consider leaving your e-mail address out of your profile.
Avoid posting your e-mail address in chat rooms, newsgroups, or on auction and sales sites.
Don’t list your e-mail address directly on a Web page, even your own. Use an alias or a secondary account that you can delete later, if necessary.
If you attempt to use a "remove me" link that does not work, make sure you report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or to the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia.
Block unwanted e-mails from a specific Spammer by using filters within your e-mail program. This feature is available in most standard e-mail programs. Simply type "filters" into the help section for instructions.
When choosing an ISP, consider whether the ISP offers Spam-filtering options.
Once you've been "spammed," ask your ISP to block all future e-mail from the sender.
Consider using a disposable e-mail account that you can easily change or shut down if it begins to receive too much Spam.
If you fall victim to identity theft while using the Internet, you should file a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). This is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C). The mission of the Internet Crimes Complaint Center is to receive, develop and refer criminal complaints regarding the rapidly expanding arena of cyber crime.
Who to Contact
Office of
Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell
Computer Crime Unit
E-mail: cybercrime@oag.state.va.us
Your Internet Service Provider’s "Abuse" e‑mail address
Report Illegal Spam NW3C/FBI
Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).