This spam has to be illegal - where can I report it?

Factual Questions
1

I just got this spam email:

Is there anyway to report this to the FBI or someone?

2

IANAL, I don’t think this is illegal. If your spouse and/or children are using your computer, you can certainly monitor what they are doing. If you are an employer, you can monitor what your employees are doing. Now if you put it on anyone else’s computer, then you’ll have legal problems.

3

But can’t you send one of these emails to anyone and get their passwords and email accounts? This is why I think it has to be illegal.

Paging Bricker, would Bricker please pick up the white courtesy phone…

4

:smack:

I missed that first part.

Yep, THAT part is illegal.

5

It sounds like it’s some sort of keylogger. They’re not illegal (and do have legitimate uses). And I don’t think actually gathering the data is illegal, either (though it may violate various policies).

6

What country is it from?

7

It doesn’t answer your question but this software was discussed in this thread.

8

In the US, a keylogger, depending on how it is deployed, may be considered a wiretap. That is illegal, unless you’ve got a fancy piece o’ paper from someone wearing nice black robes.

9

Thanks all for the input. Still, I’m wondering if there’s a place where I can report this, since I believe it is implied that it is for illegal purposes.

10

You could always forward it to the FTC - but don’t hold your breath for a response.

Here’s an article discussing it, with a link to forward the spam.

http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,55972,00.html

11

[FTC slam]
Especially as the FTC seems remarkably unimaginative in their laments that (in the absence of specific anti-spam laws) they can’t get at most spam because it’s not illegal or deceptive.

It would not take a particularly bright or aggressive lawyer to argue that forging the source of the e-mail (often by spoofing some innocent party’s domain or address), forging header/routing information, and offering bogus unsubscribe links, all in aid of persuading someone to buy something (probably also fraudulent) from you (all the while costing the recipient, his ISP, and others to spend time and money conveying your spam) is something akin to (or equal to) wire fraud.

See, e.g.:

http://www.federalcrimes.com/flashSite/index.cfm?page=wirefraud#anchor0
[/slight FTC slam]

12

Ah, that’s what I was looking for. Thank you.