Spammer Settles, Experiences Change Of Heart

One of the most notorious spammers has reached a settlement with Microsoft and the state of Texas and said the experience has been “a serious reality check.” Under the terms of the agreement, Ryan Pitylak will pay $1 million to settle charges that he sent as many as 25 million spam e-mails per day. He will also forfeit many assets he gathered as a spammer. Pitylak said he has changed teams, as it were, and will now work to limit spam. “I am pleased to announce that I am now a part of the antispam community,” he said, “having started an Internet security company that offers my clients advice on systems to protect against spam.” In his heyday, Pitylak, now 24 years old, was fourth on Spamhaus’s list of world’s worst spammers.

CNET, 5 June 2006