New Zealand Spammer Fined $100,000

A New Zealand spammer was fined $100,000 after admitting to being responsible for a flood of spam hawking male enlargement pills that flooded local inboxes. In a three month period at the end of 2007, he and his associates sent over 2 million spam messages to New Zealand residents.

Officials said Lance Atkinson had entered into an agreement with a company called Genbucks Limited to sell their products on an affilate basis:

          “The purpose of the program is to recruit people to conduct internet sales and marketing of various products including pharmaceutical products and adult sex toys. Under the agreement, Lance Atkinson was to be paid a commission of between 53% and 56% of the purchase price of each sale

Mr. Atkinson is the first individual to be prosecuted under New Zealand’s Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act, which was establishbed in 2007. In addition to the fine he was ordered to sign a statement promising to refrain from sending spam ever again.