WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND // Three New Zealand men face fines of up to 200,000 New Zealand dollars (Dh455,500) for their role in one of the world's largest spamming operations, which was shut down this week by US and other regulators, officials said today. The alleged spammers were part of a ring that sent billions of e-mails in recent years encouraging people to click through to websites that allegedly used false claims to peddle prescription drugs, weight-loss pills and products for men.
New Zealand's Department of Internal Affairs alleges that company director Shane Atkinson, his brother Lance Atkinson and an associate Roland Smits were involved in sending more than two million spam e-mails to New Zealand addresses alone between September and December 2007. Lance Atkinson is also subject to a US Federal Trade Commission complaint in the US District Court that names several Americans involved in the ring, the department spokesman Trevor Henry said.
Under New Zealand anti-spam laws, the activity is not criminal and carries no prison term but the men are being sued in civil court by the department. In a statement of claim filed in New Zealand's High Court, the department claims the trio earned more than US$2 million in sales commissions from the global operation. The department alleges Shane Atkinson was co-manager of the Genbucks Affiliate Program and that Lance Atkinson, trading under the name of Sancash, recruited and paid spammers to market Genbucks products. *AP