Sanford Wallace
Encyclopedia
Sanford "Spamford" Wallace (born c. 1968) came to notoriety in 1997, promoting himself as the original Spam King
. Wallace's prolific spamming
has resulted in encounters with the United States government, anti-spam activists, and large corporations such as Facebook
and MySpace
. Wallace initially started sending junk fax
es before moving on to spyware and email spam.
spamford.com.)
Prior to his email spam ventures, Wallace had gained notoriety in other questionable marketing circles, as a heavy utilizer of junk fax
marketing, a practice outlawed in the United States
since 1991.
In 1995, Wallace formed Cyber Promotions, entering the spam market. Thanks to a self-marketing campaign, Cyberpromo rapidly became the most successful seller of email marketing—as well as the number one source of unsolicited email. After Cyberpromo failed to become a legitimate business, Wallace returned to junk faxing in late 1997.
Wallace's company brought a number of spam-blocking evasion tactics to the fore of the spam battle. False return address
es, relaying
, and multihoming
were among the questionable practices used by Cyberpromo to ensure the penetration of their advertising.
After Wallace's internet connection was disconnected for spamming in 1999, he filed a lawsuit against anti-spam activist Mark Welch, but abandoned the suit a month later.
, Wallace was working as a DJ in New Hampshire
, making weekly appearances at area nightclubs. Wallace performs under the name DJ MasterWeb. He was also the owner of a night club in New Hampshire
called Plum Crazy, which filed for bankruptcy in 2004. It appears that Wallace did not leave the Internet marketing business entirely. In 2001 he was linked to a website, passthison.com, which utilized multiple-window launching to snag Web viewers, an advertising practice rarely seen outside of the online pornography
industry. Wallace was also involved in another opt-in project, SmartBotPRO.NET, which is now apparently also defunct.
On October 8, 2004, the Federal Trade Commission
filed suit against Wallace and his company, SmartBOT, for infecting computers with spyware
then offering a solution to remove the problem for $30. In January 2005, it was announced that Wallace had agreed to stop distributing the software until the charges with the FTC are settled. Subsequently a default judgment was issued against Wallace forbidding him and associates from distributing spyware or any other software without consumer's consent.
In March 2006, the FTC filed a suit again against Wallace and SmartBOT for practices similar to the 2004 suit. This time Wallace and his co-defendants were ordered to pay $5,089,550.48 in fines.
In 2007, MySpace
had filed suit against Wallace for phishing
and spamming. Wallace had used automated software not allowed by MySpace to create 11,000 fake profiles, in order to direct MySpace users to other websites. In July 2007, US District Judge Audrey B. Collins issued an order prohibiting Wallace from creating or maintaining MySpace profiles, and from using MySpace to post public comments, or send private messages. In April 2008, the California Central District Court issued a default judgment against Wallace in MySpace's lawsuit, after Wallace failed to turn over documents or appear in court.
On January 26, 2008, The Register
reported that the FTC
has asked the Judge overseeing the 2006 settlement to find Wallace and partner Walter Rines in civil contempt of court for their use of malware
and social engineering
on MySpace
to promote porn and gambling sites. In May 2008 Wallace and Rines were ordered to pay $230 million to MySpace by the L.A. District Court when they failed to appear for trial.
Facebook sued Wallace in California District Court for posting spam messages on members' Walls. Wallace has already been fined $4 million for installing ad-related spyware on peoples' computers, and was fined $230 million for his activities on MySpace, according to MediaPost.
Wallace filed for bankruptcy in June 2009. On October 29, 2009, federal judge Jeremy D. Fogel
awarded Facebook $711 million in damages. Although Facebook believed it was unlikely to collect due to Wallace's bankruptcy, the presiding judge in the case also recommended criminal contempt
charges against Wallace, which carry the possibility of incarceration.
On August 4, 2011, Wallace was indicted by a federal grand jury in San Jose, California, on various counts of electronic mail fraud, intentional damage to a protected computer, and criminal contempt. The indictment followed a two-year investigation by the FBI into his alleged infiltration of Facebook
accounts in order to spam its users.
Spam King
The title Spam King may refer to:* Eddie Davidson , American spammer, 2002–2007* Oleg Nikolaenko , Russian spammer waiting US federal trial* Alan Ralsky , American fraudster who gained notoriety after a 2002 Slashdot posting...
. Wallace's prolific spamming
Spam (electronic)
Spam is the use of electronic messaging systems to send unsolicited bulk messages indiscriminately...
has resulted in encounters with the United States government, anti-spam activists, and large corporations such as Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
and MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
. Wallace initially started sending junk fax
Junk fax
Junk faxes are a form of telemarketing where unsolicited advertisements are sent via fax transmission. Junk faxes are the faxed equivalent of spam or junk mail...
es before moving on to spyware and email spam.
Early career
In the late 1990s, his company, Cyber Promotions, aka Cyberpromo, was widely blacklisted as a source of unsolicited email. Wallace's high-profile pro-spam stance and unrepentant persistence earned him the derisive nickname 'Spamford'. (Wallace later registered the domain nameDomain name
A domain name is an identification string that defines a realm of administrative autonomy, authority, or control in the Internet. Domain names are formed by the rules and procedures of the Domain Name System ....
spamford.com.)
Prior to his email spam ventures, Wallace had gained notoriety in other questionable marketing circles, as a heavy utilizer of junk fax
Junk fax
Junk faxes are a form of telemarketing where unsolicited advertisements are sent via fax transmission. Junk faxes are the faxed equivalent of spam or junk mail...
marketing, a practice outlawed in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
since 1991.
In 1995, Wallace formed Cyber Promotions, entering the spam market. Thanks to a self-marketing campaign, Cyberpromo rapidly became the most successful seller of email marketing—as well as the number one source of unsolicited email. After Cyberpromo failed to become a legitimate business, Wallace returned to junk faxing in late 1997.
Wallace's company brought a number of spam-blocking evasion tactics to the fore of the spam battle. False return address
Return address
In postal mail, a return address is an explicit inclusion of the address of the person sending the message. It provides the recipient with a means to determine how to respond to the sender of the message if needed....
es, relaying
Open mail relay
An open mail relay is an SMTP server configured in such a way that it allows anyone on the Internet to send e-mail through it, not just mail destined to or originating from known users...
, and multihoming
Multihoming
Multihoming is a technique used to increase the reliability of the Internet connection for an IP network. As an adjective, it is typically used to describe a customer, rather than an Internet service provider network...
were among the questionable practices used by Cyberpromo to ensure the penetration of their advertising.
Retirement and reemergence
In April 1998, Wallace publicly announced that he was quitting the spam business. Cyberpromo was converted to what he claimed was an "opt-in" email marketing company and renamed GTMI. The revised company was plagued by major financial problems, as well as the spectre of its former self, with large numbers of people unconvinced of Wallace's change of heart. Wallace pulled out of the new venture quickly. GTBMI's problematic origin led to its rapid demise.After Wallace's internet connection was disconnected for spamming in 1999, he filed a lawsuit against anti-spam activist Mark Welch, but abandoned the suit a month later.
, Wallace was working as a DJ in New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, making weekly appearances at area nightclubs. Wallace performs under the name DJ MasterWeb. He was also the owner of a night club in New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
called Plum Crazy, which filed for bankruptcy in 2004. It appears that Wallace did not leave the Internet marketing business entirely. In 2001 he was linked to a website, passthison.com, which utilized multiple-window launching to snag Web viewers, an advertising practice rarely seen outside of the online pornography
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
industry. Wallace was also involved in another opt-in project, SmartBotPRO.NET, which is now apparently also defunct.
On October 8, 2004, the Federal Trade Commission
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act...
filed suit against Wallace and his company, SmartBOT, for infecting computers with spyware
Spyware
Spyware is a type of malware that can be installed on computers, and which collects small pieces of information about users without their knowledge. The presence of spyware is typically hidden from the user, and can be difficult to detect. Typically, spyware is secretly installed on the user's...
then offering a solution to remove the problem for $30. In January 2005, it was announced that Wallace had agreed to stop distributing the software until the charges with the FTC are settled. Subsequently a default judgment was issued against Wallace forbidding him and associates from distributing spyware or any other software without consumer's consent.
In March 2006, the FTC filed a suit again against Wallace and SmartBOT for practices similar to the 2004 suit. This time Wallace and his co-defendants were ordered to pay $5,089,550.48 in fines.
In 2007, MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
had filed suit against Wallace for phishing
Phishing
Phishing is a way of attempting to acquire information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. Communications purporting to be from popular social web sites, auction sites, online payment processors or IT...
and spamming. Wallace had used automated software not allowed by MySpace to create 11,000 fake profiles, in order to direct MySpace users to other websites. In July 2007, US District Judge Audrey B. Collins issued an order prohibiting Wallace from creating or maintaining MySpace profiles, and from using MySpace to post public comments, or send private messages. In April 2008, the California Central District Court issued a default judgment against Wallace in MySpace's lawsuit, after Wallace failed to turn over documents or appear in court.
On January 26, 2008, The Register
The Register
The Register is a British technology news and opinion website. It was founded by John Lettice, Mike Magee and Ross Alderson in 1994 as a newsletter called "Chip Connection", initially as an email service...
reported that the FTC
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act...
has asked the Judge overseeing the 2006 settlement to find Wallace and partner Walter Rines in civil contempt of court for their use of malware
Malware
Malware, short for malicious software, consists of programming that is designed to disrupt or deny operation, gather information that leads to loss of privacy or exploitation, or gain unauthorized access to system resources, or that otherwise exhibits abusive behavior...
and social engineering
Social engineering (security)
Social engineering is commonly understood to mean the art of manipulating people into performing actions or divulging confidential information...
on MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
to promote porn and gambling sites. In May 2008 Wallace and Rines were ordered to pay $230 million to MySpace by the L.A. District Court when they failed to appear for trial.
Facebook sued Wallace in California District Court for posting spam messages on members' Walls. Wallace has already been fined $4 million for installing ad-related spyware on peoples' computers, and was fined $230 million for his activities on MySpace, according to MediaPost.
Wallace filed for bankruptcy in June 2009. On October 29, 2009, federal judge Jeremy D. Fogel
Jeremy D. Fogel
Jeremy Don Fogel is a former United States federal judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. An appointee of President Bill Clinton, Fogel previously was a judge for the municipal court and superior court of Santa Clara County, California from 1981 to 1998...
awarded Facebook $711 million in damages. Although Facebook believed it was unlikely to collect due to Wallace's bankruptcy, the presiding judge in the case also recommended criminal contempt
Contempt of court
Contempt of court is a court order which, in the context of a court trial or hearing, declares a person or organization to have disobeyed or been disrespectful of the court's authority...
charges against Wallace, which carry the possibility of incarceration.
On August 4, 2011, Wallace was indicted by a federal grand jury in San Jose, California, on various counts of electronic mail fraud, intentional damage to a protected computer, and criminal contempt. The indictment followed a two-year investigation by the FBI into his alleged infiltration of Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
accounts in order to spam its users.
News articles
- Sanford Wallace mini-bio and interviews from archive.org, originally at AnnOnline
- CNET: Return of the Spam King November 20, 1997
- CNET: Spam site killed under threats January 19, 1998
- Wired: Sanford Wallace: Back to the Fax? January 23, 1998
- FTC files case against spyware companies October 7, 2004
- U.S. files first suit against Internet 'spy ware' October 8, 2004
- Notorious Net marketer to halt spyware ads January 4, 2005
- FTC Orders Former Spam King To Pay $4 Million For Spyware Scam May 4, 2006
- MySpace files phishing and spam suit against Sanford Wallace March 27, 2007
- Spamford Wallace's MySpace riches come under attack January 26, 2008
- MySpace Wins Record $230m in Case Against 'Spam King' May 14, 2008