MonsterHut Jammed for Spam

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Posted by ryuzaki0 on Thursday January 23, 2003 @02:23AM from the good-start dept.

DeAshcroft writes "Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Lottie E. Wilkins has ordered MonsterHut, its CEO Todd Pelow and CTO Gary Hartl to stop behaving badly. The New York Post has a story on the ruling. The suit, brought by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer in May 2002, alleges that MonsterHut sent over 500 million messages, fraudulently claiming that they were opt-in, and ignored at least 750,000 requests by consumers to be taken off their lists. Newsday also has coverage. The AG has an official release on the case. Penalty hearing is scheduled for Feb 11, 2003."

16 of 286 comments (clear)

Heh by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-23 02:24 · Score: 3, Funny

Officials were quoted as saying the CEO would be punished by being force fed thousands of cans of Spam a day.
pattern? by mschoolbus · 2003-01-23 02:26 · Score: 2, Funny

I don't think the "*huts" are doing to well... I mean, Fingerhut, Monsterhut, etc... But i wonder about Pizza hut? =P
1. Re:pattern? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-23 02:28 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  Last I heard, Jabba the Hut wasn't doing so well either.
2. Re:pattern? by Jiggy · 2003-01-23 02:58 · Score: 1, Funny
  
  Pizzahut offering Spam topping? Spam and Pinapple maybe?
  
  Or perhaps Spam, Pinapple, Spam, Eggs, Chips and Spam. :-)
  
  With extra Spam.
I love Monster Hut. by tps12 · 2003-01-23 02:27 · Score: 1, Funny

I don't care what anyone says, Monster Hut has the best monster anywhere. Nice and thick, with plenty of sauce, and cheese that's gooey but not too stringy.

Now I'm making myself hungry. I think I'll order up some monster for lunch.

--

Karma: Good (despite my invention of the Karma: sig)
Hang em high by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-23 02:29 · Score: 0, Funny

They used to hang horse thieves.
HOW TO Deal With Chinese Spam by Amsterdam+Vallon · 2003-01-23 02:29 · Score: 5, Funny

The government just ordered all ISPs in China to start monitoring email for subversive phrases and the like, so I started replying to Chinese spam with little replies of the form at the end of this spam. Might be a useful tactic on companies who think that unsolicited email is "just regular advertising."

"Jack(export manager)" wrote:
>
> Dear Sir
> How are you .
>
> We are a lighting factory in China ,It is glad
> to introduce ourselves to you:
>
> I am XUBIN (Jack) , XUBIN is my chinese name , you can just
> call me Jack !! , I am export manager of [deleted] ,
> China, our group have four factory
[snipped]
>
> Here is our company profile :
>

[Rest of sales talk snipped]

(And now, the reply)

Thank you for your coded order. The weapons and ammunition will ship by way of the usual route in ten days, and you already know our secret Swiss bank account number to wire the payment to.

It is a pleasure doing business with you for so long, and I hope your cause will prevail. I am new to this particular computer, so I hope the encryption is working and the monitoring authorities cannot read what I am sending you.

Long live the Falun Gong! Free Tibet!

Best regards, Your arms supplier

(from http://www.netfunny.com/rhf/jokes/02/Feb/spam.html )

--

Reply or e-mail; don't vaguely moderate. Ex-O'Reilly/MIT employee, now a full-time Google employee.
Re:How long by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-23 02:34 · Score: 3, Funny

Like that'll stop US courts deciding they have power over everything out of their borders.
What's scary by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-23 02:44 · Score: 4, Funny

is that there are 750,000 idiots out there who tried to have their names taken off a spammer's list.
WTF? by Amsterdam+Vallon · 2003-01-23 02:45 · Score: 1, Funny

Getting technology news from the New York Post is like getting medical advice from an Ask Slashdot.

--

Reply or e-mail; don't vaguely moderate. Ex-O'Reilly/MIT employee, now a full-time Google employee.
The Penalty Hearing is on my birthday! by Saint+Aardvark · 2003-01-23 02:49 · Score: 1, Funny

w00t! What a gift! I didn't think Lottie Wilkins even knew my name...

--
Carousel is a lie!
Re:It's about time by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-23 03:06 · Score: 0, Funny

Why does a single 24-year-old guy need coupons for feminine hygiene products?

Odds are, we dont want to know.
Re:DON'T REALLY DO THIS by Helter · 2003-01-23 03:15 · Score: 0, Funny

It sure as hell would make them think twice before sending out spam though...
Re:DON'T REALLY DO THIS by Nicolas+MONNET · 2003-01-23 03:41 · Score: 1, Funny

I completely agree with you, doing this could get a spammer and his family killed.

I have a question though, why do you seem to imply that this a bad thing?
How I deal with spam. by Big+Mark · 2003-01-23 03:47 · Score: 2, Funny

See those wee "click here to be removed" or whatever links in spam? Click there, be removed. That's some spam you won't receive again.

Yes, it validates your email address. So does the fact that the spam didn't bounce. And with those images that are downloaded off the web if you open a spam they accomplish the same even if you delete the spam.

Admittedly I don't get all that much spam (well, for now at least, ya bastards! :p ) but when I do get one I just click the remove me link and I never see it again.

Well, until I use Google Groups that is. I get hideous volumes of spam after I post to netnews using that. I think I'm onto something...

-Mark
Just follow the opt out procedures... by Eric+Damron · 2003-01-23 08:31 · Score: 2, Funny

MonsterHut officials claimed that the reason 750,000 people where not removed from their mailing lists was that they had failed to follow the proper removal procedure. The procedure is apparently more involved than just clicking 'NO' and includes bringing a shrubbery to the MonsterHut headquarters.

--
The race isn't always to the swift... but that's the way to bet!