An Auckland man and his company could face penalties totaling $700,000 for allegedly sending out hundreds of thousands of spam emails and text messages.
Brendan Paul Battles and Image Marketing Group Limited are accused of sending 519,545 spam emails and 44,824 spam text messages during 2009.
The text messages allegedly asked recipients to purchase a mobile phone antenna booster over the internet.
Department of Internal Affairs' Anti-Spam Compliance Unit has lodged two statements of claim in the High Court in Auckland alleging breaches under the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act 2007 by Battles and Image Marketing Group Limited.
The department is seeking financial penalties against Battles of $200,000 and $500,000 against his company for sending unsolicited messages.
In 2008 the department successfully prosecuted three New Zealanders involved in an international spam network marketing "pharmaceutical products" such as male-enhancement pills, prescription drugs and weight-loss pills.
Brothers, Lance and Shane Atkinson were ordered by the High Court in Christchurch to pay $100,000 and Roland Smits $50,000.
After a separate action by the United States Federal Trade Commission, Lance Atkinson was also ordered by a US federal judge to pay US$15.15 million.
- NZPA
Alleged spammer taken to court
Photo / Thinkstock
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
