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Mass. AG suit is first using anti-spam law
By <=
b>Jerry
Kronenberg
Friday, July 2, 2004
B=
ay
State officials are downloading a new federal law in the fight against spam=
.
Yest=
erday,
Attorney General Tom Reilly announced the first usage by any state of the f=
ederal
anti-spam law that took effect Jan. 1.
Reil=
ly used
the federal statute and state laws to sue a Florida man who allegedly sent
repeated e-mails to Internet users, offering cut-rate mortgages.
``We=
expect
e-mail marketers to live up to both Massachusetts law and the new federal s=
pam
law,'' Reilly said in announcing the lawsuit. ``If they don't, we will take
action.''
The =
attorney
general sued William Carson, of Weston, Fla., charging that he violated
anti-spam laws, brokering mortgages in Massachusetts without a license and
advertising loans improperly.
``Do=
you
know that you can get a pre-approved 1.57 percent mortgage rate even with b=
ad
credit?'' some of the cited e-mails read. ``We will approve your applicatio=
n in
several hours. No need to worry!''
A li=
nk in
the e-mail led to an electronic form where consumers would provide annual
income, their home's value and other personal information.
Auth=
orities
say Carson, who could not be reached for comment, would sell the responses =
to
mortgage brokers looking for leads.
The =
e-mails
listed a real Newton office building as Carson's business address, even tho=
ugh
he doesn't have space there.
Judi=
Smith,
office manager of the building's real tenant, Newton Executive Office Center
Inc., said her company has received hundreds of letters and calls from irate
e-mail recipients.
``I =
can't
begin to tell you the threatening voice mails we've gotten,'' Smith said.
``These people are annoying half the world, and half the world is blaming us
for it.''
Offi=
cials
allege that recipients had no way to get off of Carson's e-mail list - a
violation of the federal anti-spam law.
Reil=
ly wants
a judge to order Carson to stop sending improper e-mails, offering mortgages
without a license or advertising loans with terms such as ``bad credit, no
problem.''
The =
state
also seeks civil monetary penalties. Reilly's office said laws call for fin=
es
of up to $5,000 per improper e-mail.
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