# Bwahahahaha! Spammer ordered to pay $11.2 BILLION! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 10, 2006, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwahahahaha-spammer-ordered-to-pay-11-2-billion/339259 "2006-01-10T02:35:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwahahahaha-spammer-ordered-to-pay-11-2-billion/339259/21 "2006-01-10T16:56:59Z")
I’m glad you’re all so happy, but even if this guy is stopped, there’s a hundred (thousand?) more after him. Many of the others are overseas, and probably not able to be sued. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwahahahaha-spammer-ordered-to-pay-11-2-billion/339259/22 "2006-01-10T17:03:33Z")
> [@Larry Mudd](#): > > Justice has been delivered, photographed beautifully for the album, slept through the night from the very first day, potty trained as soon as she could sit up, cut all of her teeth without so much as a peep, put herself through school with savings from summer jobs she started at age nine ( which never interfered with her chores at all,) went into business for herself at eighteen, moved out the same year, graced the cover of _Fortune_ the next, and made an IPO at twenty which bought her parents a nice place in the Hamptons for their early retirement. > > There isn’t a single word for it in English, but ask a German – he’ll be able to help you out. Unfortunetly, the German word for it is “Justicehasbeendeliveredphotographedbeautifullyforthealbumsleptthroughthenightfromtheveryfirstdaypottytrainedassoonasshecouldsitupcutallofherteethwithoutsomuchasapeepputherselfthroughschoolwithsavingsfromsummerjobsshestartedatageninewhichneverinterferedwithherchoresatallwentintobusinessforherselfateighteenmovedoutthesameyeargracedthecoveroffortunethenextandmadeanipoattwentywhichboughtherparentsaniceplaceinthehamptonsfortheirearlyretirement.” ---
**Author:** ![Walter\_Windchill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Walter\_Windchill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walter_Windchill)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwahahahaha-spammer-ordered-to-pay-11-2-billion/339259/23 "2006-01-10T17:08:04Z")
The plaintiff just needs to give the spammer his checking acct info, and the money will get transfered in… ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwahahahaha-spammer-ordered-to-pay-11-2-billion/339259/24 "2006-01-10T17:09:43Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > It seems unlikely that Kramer will ever collect this huge sum, but hopefully it will at least put McCalla out of business, and hopefully even bankrupt the fucker. Seinfeld would’ve had a field day with this. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwahahahaha-spammer-ordered-to-pay-11-2-billion/339259/25 "2006-01-10T17:16:13Z")
> [@Walter Windchill](#): > > The plaintiff just needs to give the spammer his checking acct info, and the money will get transfered in… You know, it’s amazing you should mention this. I just got an email from the prosecutor, saying that because he’s going through a messy divorce he doesn’t want to deposit the settlement money into his own account, but that I had been recommended as a trustworthy individual who could help him out, Christ be with me. If I was willing to provide a temporary U.S. bank account for the monies, I would receive 25% of the principal or 2.8 BILLION DOLLARS. I of course jumped on this once in a lifetime opportunity. So, since I’ll be handling the transaction, I’ll make sure not to do anything stupid like give the spammer my account information. This guy is lucky he found me – there’s a lot of suckers out there, and you have to be extra careful when dealing with spammers. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwahahahaha-spammer-ordered-to-pay-11-2-billion/339259/26 "2006-01-10T17:25:14Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > It could be the bird flu. After reading **Dewey Finn** ’s post, you may be right. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwahahahaha-spammer-ordered-to-pay-11-2-billion/339259/27 "2006-01-10T17:28:44Z")
> [@Priceguy](#): > > What’s the opposite of a miscarriage of justice? A piece of justice so flawlessly perfect that it transcends justice itself. I think we’re going to need a word for it. Spamalot-not ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwahahahaha-spammer-ordered-to-pay-11-2-billion/339259/28 "2006-01-10T17:35:33Z")
> [@Dewey Finn](#): > > I’m glad you’re all so happy, but even if this guy is stopped, there’s a hundred (thousand?) more after him. Many of the others are overseas, and probably not able to be sued. War on terror or war on spam? Hmmmmm. Can we just hire subcontractors to go after terrorists for us and devote our resources to sticking the spammers in Guantanamo bay without access to proper counsel or the outside world instead? I mean, for real… Oooh. What about just putting bounties on the spammers, and letting overseas bounty hunters handle things? ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwahahahaha-spammer-ordered-to-pay-11-2-billion/339259/29 "2006-01-10T17:51:36Z")
> [@Mr. Slant](#): > > War on terror or war on spam? Hmmmmm. > Can we just hire subcontractors to go after terrorists for us and devote our resources to sticking the spammers in Guantanamo bay without access to proper counsel or the outside world instead? > I mean, for real… > Oooh. What about just putting bounties on the spammers, and letting overseas bounty hunters handle things? i have this _wonderful_ image in my mind of a spammer encased in Carbonite, with Boba Fett saying "what if he dies, he’s no use to me _dead_… for once, it seems the Justice Department actually _works_ sad thing is, i don’t see this reducing the amount of spam much, nothing short of tactical nuclear strikes could do that, y’know, put those “bunker-busting” nukes to good use… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwahahahaha-spammer-ordered-to-pay-11-2-billion/339259/30 "2006-01-10T18:31:33Z")
> [@Ponder Stibbons](#): > > What’s that funny tingle I feel? > > I believe … I believe that’s the feeling of > justice. Is that anything like spider-sense? Do you have to be bitten by a radioactive jurist first? ---
**Author:** ![Dijon\_Warlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9a28c/32.png) [@Dijon\_Warlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dijon_Warlock)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2006, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwahahahaha-spammer-ordered-to-pay-11-2-billion/339259/31 "2006-01-11T08:23:17Z")
> [@Priceguy](#): > > What’s the opposite of a miscarriage of justice? A piece of justice so flawlessly perfect that it transcends justice itself. I think we’re going to need a word for it. Kramering. You heard it here first. ---
**Author:** ![Isosleepy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/isosleepy/32/479_2.png) [@Isosleepy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isosleepy)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2006, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwahahahaha-spammer-ordered-to-pay-11-2-billion/339259/32 "2006-01-11T14:05:27Z")
> [@Larry Mudd](#): > > Justice has been delivered, photographed beautifully for the album, slept through the night from the very first day, potty trained as soon as she could sit up, cut all of her teeth without so much as a peep, put herself through school with savings from summer jobs she started at age nine ( which never interfered with her chores at all,) went into business for herself at eighteen, moved out the same year, graced the cover of _Fortune_ the next, and made an IPO at twenty which bought her parents a nice place in the Hamptons for their early retirement. > > There isn’t a single word for it in English, but ask a German – he’ll be able to help you out. Gerechtigkeitsfreude ---
**Author:** ![Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spatial_Rift_47)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2006, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwahahahaha-spammer-ordered-to-pay-11-2-billion/339259/33 "2006-01-12T00:46:20Z")
> [@saoirse](#): > > I love because it so… just. > > I mean if a judge had said “I hate spammers. Make it $11.2 BILLION!” I would have had mixed feelings. I like the fact that it’s such a modest judgement. > > “…And all it will cost you is ten dollars eaches.” No, something doesn’t add up here. $11.2 billion, if it’s $10 per email, would be 1.12 billion emails. But in the article: > [@Article](#): > > In the lawsuit, Kramer established that McCalla sent more than 280 million illegal spam e-mail messages into CIS’s computer network in 2003. Which would only be $2.8 billion. So somewhere along the line that got quadrupled to account for damages or something, or else Kramer got $40 per email. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2006, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwahahahaha-spammer-ordered-to-pay-11-2-billion/339259/34 "2006-01-12T00:51:34Z")
> [@Ponder Stibbons](#): > > What’s that funny tingle I feel? > > I believe … I believe that’s the feeling of > justice. It feels like hot dogs! ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2006, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwahahahaha-spammer-ordered-to-pay-11-2-billion/339259/35 "2006-01-12T01:17:59Z")
I credit Bush. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2006, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwahahahaha-spammer-ordered-to-pay-11-2-billion/339259/36 "2006-01-12T14:50:35Z")
> [@Ponder Stibbons](#): > > What’s that funny tingle I feel? > > I believe … I believe that’s the feeling of > justice. This has been quoted enough times, but I thought I’d point out this works best if you imagine this being said in the voice of The Tick or maybe The Crimson Chin. Mmmmm. Hot dogs. ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2006, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwahahahaha-spammer-ordered-to-pay-11-2-billion/339259/37 "2006-01-14T01:20:17Z")
> [@Spatial Rift 47](#): > > No, something doesn’t add up here. $11.2 billion, if it’s $10 per email, would be 1.12 billion emails. But in the article: > > Which would only be $2.8 billion. So somewhere along the line that got quadrupled to account for damages or something, or else Kramer got $40 per email. Maybe the judge saved him the trouble of doing the calculation and factored in the interest for him. Presumably they didn’t choose to go the ironic route and give him \S~U~P~E~R low 1n+ere$t rate s!!!\ ---
**Author:** ![MelCthefirst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@MelCthefirst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MelCthefirst)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2006, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwahahahaha-spammer-ordered-to-pay-11-2-billion/339259/38 "2006-01-14T01:28:12Z")
This has got me thinking - just how much does a spammer earn? I mean, if the judge is serious about Kramer paying it back, $10 per week payment plan is a little unrealistic. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2006, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwahahahaha-spammer-ordered-to-pay-11-2-billion/339259/39 "2006-01-14T01:47:33Z")
Kramer is the good guy here. McCalla is the figure of fun. I sincerely hope that the judgement is against him personally and not some corporate fiction – and that he’ll have his earnings garnisheed for the remainder of his execrable existance. ---
**Author:** ![MelCthefirst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@MelCthefirst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MelCthefirst)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2006, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwahahahaha-spammer-ordered-to-pay-11-2-billion/339259/40 "2006-01-14T02:07:54Z")
> [@MelCthefirst](#): > > This has got me thinking - just how much does a spammer earn? I mean, if the judge is serious about Kramer paying it back, $10 per week payment plan is a little unrealistic. Whoops, I mean McCalla paying it back - thanks Larry. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwahahahaha-spammer-ordered-to-pay-11-2-billion/339259.md?page=1)