Detroit spammer faces slammer

A US spammer likely faces at least two years in jail next week after he admitted using networks of compromised PCs to distribute junk mail messages. Daniel Lin, of West Broomfield, Detroit, is expected to plead guilty next Tuesday (17 January) at a court hearing after he admitted using virus-infected corporate computers to peddle weight-loss cures penis pills and other assorted tat. Lin struck a deal with prosecutors which means he'll only go to jail for between two years and 57 months instead of the far more lengthy incarceration he risked if he'd continued to protest his innocence.

Lin was among four men charged last April with sending millions of spam mail messages using compromised computers belonging to Ford, Amoco, Unisys, the US Army Information Centre and others. The group made in excess of $100K, according to reports. Lin and brother James along with Mark Sadek and Chris Chung are accused of intentionally sending spam through proxies, with fake return-path addresses in an attempt to avoid detection. These tactics are illegal under recent US anti-spam legislation called the CAN-SPAM Act. ®