Complain about a product or service

Masssachusetts Judge Shuts Down Spam Ring

May 12, 2005
A Massachusetts judge has issued an order shutting down dozens of websites allegedly operated by a sophisticated ring of Boston area spammers who transmit millions of unsolicited, deceptive email messages to lure consumers into buying unapproved counterfeit drugs, pirated software, and pornography.

The action came after Massachusetts Attorney General Tom Reilly, relying partly on information provided by Microsoft, filed a lawsuit against Leo Kuvayev and six other individuals with Massachusetts ties accused of running an elaborate spam operation in violation of state and federal consumer protection laws.

Suffolk Superior Court Judge Ralph D. Gants granted Reilly’s request for an emergency court order that effectively shuts down multiple websites linked to Kuvayev and the other defendants as well as two Internet companies.

"The numbers are staggering," Reilly said. "Leo Kuvayev and the other members of his so-called ‘Internet Spam Gang’ are unleashing millions of unsolicited messages on consumers every day."

"This type of spam is more than just an annoyance to consumers. It poses a real danger to people who may be fooled into buying counterfeit versions of prescription drugs or unwittingly open email links to sexually explicit websites."

Kuvayev’s scheme allegedly involves a complicated web of Internet sites and domain names selling a variety of illegal products including counterfeit drugs, pirated software, pornography, mortgage loans and phony designer watches.

While the exact number of emails the defendants have sent out is unknown, they are likely responsible for disseminating hundreds of millions of unsolicited messages to consumers and businesses in Massachusetts and across the United States. Through the use of trap email accounts, set up for the express purpose of determining the names and identity of spammers, Microsoft officials collected more than 45,000 spam messages believed to be from the Internet Spam Gang between June 12 and July 4, 2004.

Reilly’s investigation, coupled with the Microsoft information, found that Kuvayev and the defendants regularly and rapidly shifted domain names and websites to different Internet addresses.

By following the domain names through several of these shifts, uncovering more domain names linked to identical websites, and obtaining registration information from website hosting companies, investigators were able to determine the identity of Kuvayev and others and link them to websites selling counterfeit prescription drugs, pirated software, mortgage loan offers, counterfeit Rolex watches, and pornography.

The Internet Spam Gang’s operations have been tracked to Russia and other countries overseas, with domain names registered in Monaco, Australia and France, and computer servers located in China, Korea, Brazil and Taiwan. Investigators used a variety of tools to track down the Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and web hosting companies the spammers use to post and maintain many of their websites.

Kuvayev and his associates, according to AG Reilly’s complaint, are able to send millions of unsolicited emails by recruiting “affiliates” who also generate and transmit emails that link consumers to Kuvayev’s websites. Kuvayev is able to track website hits attributed to emails generated by these affiliates, and the complaint alleges, compensate the affiliates based on the email and website traffic they generate.

The defendants named in the suit include Kuvayev, Vladislav Khokholkov, Anna Orlova, Pavel Tkachuk, Michelle Marco, Dennis Nartikoev, Pavel Yashin and two companies: 2K Services, Ltd., and Ecash Pay, Ltd. All of these individuals, according to the complaint, have worked in some capacity for either 2K Services or Ecash Pay, which are unincorporated and list the same Massachusetts post office box address as their place of business.

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

Share		Follow us on Twitter.

Back to the top |

Terms of Use Your use of this site constitutes acceptance of the Terms of Use

Advertisements on this site are placed and controlled by outside advertising networks. ConsumerAffairs.com does not evaluate or endorse the products and services advertised. See the FAQ for more information.

Company Response Welcome If complaints about your company appear on our site, we welcome your response. Please see the Response Form for more information.

For more information, see the FAQ and privacy policy. The information on this Web site is general in nature and is not intended as a substitute for competent legal advice.  ConsumerAffairs.com Inc. makes no representation as to the accuracy of the information herein provided and assumes no liability for any damages or loss arising from the use thereof. 

Copyright © 2003-2009 ConsumerAffairs.com Inc.  All Rights Reserved.    The contents of this site may not be republished, reprinted, rewritten or recirculated without written permission.