Spam Reports

Fake Free Laptops Equals $650,000 Fine

Advertiser fined for sending deceptive spam

By Bogdan Popa, Security and Search Engines Editor

29th of November 2007, 11:46 GMT

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I think everybody wants to receive a laptop, a Microsoft Xbox 360 or a flat-screen TV for free. And the advertisers know it but from offering them at no cost to tricking users that loaning a car might get them these gifts, there's a long, long way. The Federal Trade Commission today reported that Adteractive Inc.

received a $650,000 fine after it attempt to lure visitors on its website claiming that they may get important free prizes. Moreover, they sent tons of spam to people's inboxes to promote this fake campaign saying that a simple click can bring them a game console, a laptop or even a TV.

"Test and keep this Flat-Screen TV," "Test it - Keep it - Microsoft Xbox 360," and "Congratulations! Claim Your Choice of Sony, HP or Gateway Laptop," some of the messages included in the emails read according to the FTC.

Once connected to the website, the visitors looking to get their prizes were asked to loan a car, to apply for a credit card or to purchase some products in order to qualify for the special offer.

"The FTC alleges that Adteractive's failure to disclose material facts - such as the fact that consumers must pay money or provide some other consideration to obtain their "free gift" - is deceptive in violation of the FTC Act. In addition, the agency charged that deceptive subject lines in Adteractive's spam e-mails violate the federal CAN-SPAM Act," FTC said in a statement published on its official website.

I think this is a pretty important step for stopping the avalanche of spam messages delivered to our inboxes but I've seen tons of similar emails and nobody ever managed to stop them. In fact, me and some of the other Internet users blocked some of them using the email filters included in the majority of the email services.

TAGS:

spam | fine | gift | email | security

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