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Steve Case, AOL's chief executive, today announced what he is dubbing "AOL's Ten Most Wanted Spammer List," which includes the names of what he said are the ten most frequent spammers. He also reiterated support of national legislation that would put legal brakes on spam.
It is unclear whether the move will have any effect. It is one of a string of efforts by the online giant over the past year to show that it is trying to free its network of junk email.
In spite of technological antispam measures and a spate of lawsuits issued against junk emailers, they continue to flood the email boxes of AOL's 11 million members.
Anyone who spends more than a few minutes in a chat room will first find himself inundated with Instant Messages directing him to a variety of Web sites. Then users get reams of junk email advertising everything from get-rich-quick schemes and pornography to everyday products.
While AOL has been able to win all its lawsuits against the spammers it has sued, new ones crop up daily; junk emailers are attracted to AOL for several reasons, including the fact that AOL email addresses are easily available by going to AOL itself or by buying lists from "brokers."
But AOL is by no means alone in its battle against spam and it continues to look for new ways to combat it.
On Monday, the company filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia charging Eddie Davidson and his two firms, Web Communications and Sex Web Incorporated, with violations of the federal copyright statute, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and the Virginia Computer Crimes Act.
It is similar to several other suits AOL has filed.
Aol's top ten spammers, in order, are as follows:
