Sunday, October 29, 2006

Spammer Fined $5.5 Million

Never mind Australia getting noticed overseas for the outspoken utterances of Sheikh Hilarity, computer users everywhere should be rejoicing at the successful prosecution of Perth based spammer, Wayne Mansfield.

East Perth-based business seminar promoter Clarity1 Pty Ltd and its director, Wayne Robert Mansfield, have been fined $5.5 million for sending unsolicited emails, the first fines to be issued under the new Spam Act.


Sadly, in EoR's opinion, the fine did not go far enough and Mr Mansfield was not jailed and he was allowed to keep his testicles.

Nonetheless, like all true conmen and scammers, Mr Mansfield is entirely unrepentant.

In April, Mr Mansfield told WA Business News it was business as usual following the decision, and declined to say whether an appeal was likely.


According to a report in The West Australian, Saturday 28th October 2006, Mr Mansfield "faces financial ruin" (EoR doubts it, these sort of "entrepeneurs" regularly pop up with new scams, and they're usually not the ones who lose money). Indeed,

Mr Mansfield's Business Seminars Australia fell into liquidation in March 2004 owing creditors more than $206,000. This year he set up Blast! Into 2007 and 272 Corporation.


So it seems it's pretty much business as usual, and why not, when the same attitude that leads people to believe in alternative therapies (EoR is surrounded by True Believers who insist reiki "works, but only if you believe in it") leads to them responding to clearly dubious email.

Wayne Mansfield of Perth said spammers remained in business only because it was profitable. He said he would defend what he believed was his right to use the email addresses culled from Australian websites using automated software. "Every day, people buy from that list," Mr Mansfield said, referring to a list the Australian Communications Authority, acting on thousands of complaints, has asked the Federal Court to shut down. Mr Mansfield said the number of people who act on spam "is staggeringly high".


More from a witness in the trial.

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