‘Spamford’ Wallace indicted for Facebook hack

So-called spam king Sanford Wallace has been charged with hacking the accounts of half a million Facebook users to send 27 million spam emails.

According to the indictment, Wallace carried out three attacks on the social networking site between November 2008 and March 2009. He faces a potential 40-year jail sentence and a $2 million fine for multiple counts of fraud, intentional damage to a protected computer and criminal contempt.

The 43-year-old allegedly managed to evade Facebook’s spam filters to post messages on his victims’ friends’ walls. Clicking on a link within the message led to a website that harvested names and account details.

“Facebook’s computer entwork sustained damage from the large amount of computer network resources used during the defendant’s transmission of spam messages through its system, which resulted in Facebook spending a significant amount of time, money and resources responding to and fixing the damage caused to its network as well as to protect and defend its network from future spam campaigns by the defendant,” the indictment reads.

Wallace has been in the spamming business a long time, allegedly sending out more than 30 million spam messages during the 1990s. Facebook first sued him in 2009, and he was ordered to stay away from Facebook – but did so within a month. While he was ordered to pay Facebook $711 million in damages, he filed for bankruptcy soon after.

Wallace was yesterday released on a $100,000 bond – and ordered to stayy off Facebook and MySpace. He’ll appear in court in San Jose on August 22.

 

Share and Enjoy

Cops hoping social media will generate clues

Homicide detectives are turning to social media with hopes of generating new tips to help solve cases.

The case involving 27-year-old Kyle Gayda, whose body was found burned inside his car in a remote area last week, is the first time police are using social media sites such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter as a way to generate tips and reach out to a younger audience.

A short video about the case, which features photos of Gayda and his car, has been posted on the EPS website.

Det. Dan Jones is hoping that video will begin circulating on social media sites.

“Some of the friends this individual has that we talked to are in a certain age category and that age category is more apt to go on the social media sites rather than watch the six o’clock news,” said Jones, who noted the idea was spawned by another detective.

“It’s something we’ve never done before. We are trying it for the first time.”

Detectives are still trying to establish a timeline for Gayda, who was last seen July 14. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or police at 780-423-4567.

pamela.roth@sunmedia.ca

@SUNpamelaroth

Share and Enjoy