FBI suspects Russian of creating one of world's largest spam networks

© RIA Novosti . Natalia RyabovaThe FBI has launched an investigation against a Russian man suspected of being responsible for around one third of global Internet spam.
The FBI has launched an investigation against a Russian man suspected of being responsible for around one third of global Internet spam. - Sputnik International
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The FBI has launched an investigation against a Russian man suspected of being responsible for around one third of global Internet spam, the Smoking Gun portal reported on Wednesday.

The FBI has launched an investigation against a Russian man suspected of being responsible for around one third of global Internet spam, the Smoking Gun portal reported on Wednesday.

"An ongoing grand jury probe is targeting Oleg Nikolaenko... for allegedly violating the anti-spam law, as well as "abetting violations of the mail and wire fraud statutes," according to an affidavit sworn last month by an FBI agent," the portal said.

According to the portal, the 23-year-old resident of the town of Vidnoye, south of Moscow, could be behind the notorious Mega-D network, comprising more than 500,000 infected computers.

Some experts believe that Mega-D was the largest botnet in the world, accounting for 32% of all global spam letters. The network, capable of sending up to 10 billion spam letters a day, was crippled late last year by the FireEye network security company.

Information about Nikolaenko, known under the online moniker "Docent," was received from spammers Jody Smith and Lance Atkinson. The two advertised fake Rolexes, counterfeit prescription medications, purported erectile dysfunction drugs, and "herbal remedies" not approved by government regulators.

Atkinson said "his largest spamming affiliates were Russian." According to FBI data, Atkinson transferred $460,000 to Nikolaenko's ePassporte account for his services over one six-month period.

MOSCOW, December 1 (RIA Novosti)

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