Yahoo Wins $610M Suit Against Lottery Spammers

Emails purported to be from Yahoo offices.

Yahoo has claimed victory in a $610m lawsuit against a group of individuals it accused of operating a massive spam and fraud campaign.

A U.S. district court in New York issued a ruling in favor of the company, ordering the defendants to pay $583m in damages stemming from violations of the Can-Spam Act, as well as $27m in damages for trademark infringement.

The company alleges the defendants spammed users with emails purporting to be from Yahoo offices. The emails claimed that users had won a “Yahoo lottery” prize and asked for personal and financial information.

Such lottery scams are a common tactic cyber criminals use to harvest personal data on users and gain access to bank accounts.

“Yahoo takes the protection of its users and brand very seriously,” said Yahoo global brand protection legal director Christian Dowell.

“Our ultimate goal is to ensure that users continue to trust Yahoo as the leading US email provider.”

Passed in 2003, the Can-Spam Act allows companies to seek penalties of up to $16,000 for each piece of junk mail reported.

The law has been used by service providers in a number of landmark cases against spammers, including a 2009 ruling that saw Facebook win a record $837m payout for a password-harvesting scheme.

This article was originally published on V3.

Subscribe to get your daily business insights

Whitepapers

US Mobile Streaming Behavior
Whitepaper | Mobile

US Mobile Streaming Behavior

5y

US Mobile Streaming Behavior

Streaming has become a staple of US media-viewing habits. Streaming video, however, still comes with a variety of pesky frustrations that viewers are ...

View resource
Winning the Data Game: Digital Analytics Tactics for Media Groups
Whitepaper | Analyzing Customer Data

Winning the Data Game: Digital Analytics Tactics for Media Groups

5y

Winning the Data Game: Digital Analytics Tactics f...

Data is the lifeblood of so many companies today. You need more of it, all of which at higher quality, and all the meanwhile being compliant with data...

View resource
Learning to win the talent war: how digital marketing can develop its people
Whitepaper | Digital Marketing

Learning to win the talent war: how digital marketing can develop its peopl...

2y

Learning to win the talent war: how digital market...

This report documents the findings of a Fireside chat held by ClickZ in the first quarter of 2022. It provides expert insight on how companies can ret...

View resource
Engagement To Empowerment - Winning in Today's Experience Economy
Report | Digital Transformation

Engagement To Empowerment - Winning in Today's Experience Economy

1m

Engagement To Empowerment - Winning in Today's Exp...

Customers decide fast, influenced by only 2.5 touchpoints – globally! Make sure your brand shines in those critical moments. Read More...

View resource