Authorities caught up with the spammer behind the notorious Mega-D botnet, Nikolaenko, in LV last month. Friday Nikolaenko was arraigned in Milwaukee. He was charged with being accountable for almost a third of the spam generated worldwide when he was in top form. The Russian, age 23, claims he is innocent.
Spam for thirty-two % around the globe comes from Mega-D botnet
At its peak, the Mega-D botnet sent out 10 billion spam e-mails every single day — 32 % of the planet’s spam, according to the FBI. The Mega-D spambot is used a lot by Nikolaenko. It is said that there are 500,000 infected computers in his control. The Mega-D botnet specialized in hawking fake Rolex watches, bogus herbal male enhancement products and counterfeit prescription drugs, especially Viagra. After a three-year investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation caught up with Nikolaenko Nov. 4 in LV, where he was going to from Russia to attend an auto show. The accused Mega-D botnet mastermind encounters a prison sentence of up to three years and a $250,000 fine.
The way to track Oleg Nikolaenko
The Mega-D spambot was how Nikolaenko got rich. FBI affidavits and court documents show he made almost a half million dollars during a six-month period in 2007. In 2009 Nikolaenko narrowly escaped arrest when an online security firm attacked the command and control system for the Mega-D botnet. But Nikolaenko slipped away to Russia, fixed the malware and soon the spam flowed freely once again. In addition to the FBI, the operation that eventually cornered the Mega-D botnet mogul involved the Federal Trade Commission, several private security businesses and investigators from Australia and New Zealand.
Google involved in catching of Mega-D spammer
A fake Rolex dealer using Mega-D botnet was arrested which led the FBI to Nikolaenko. Authorities were given details then in order to follow a path that lead to Nikolaenko's Gmail address due to a cash transfer. Then Google had to give up info on him. Nikolaenko's spamming was in this info. A "rigorous defense" is being made by his lawyer.
Articles cited
CNN
news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/12/03/man-allegedly-responsible-for-a-third-of-your-spam-e-mail-to-be-arraigned/?npt=NP1
Wall Street Journal
online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704377004575651232273336218.html
Digital Trends
digitaltrends.com/computing/man-behind-a-third-of-the-worlds-spam-heading-to-court/?news=123
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