First spammers charged under new US law

Four men face criminal complaints under the Can-Spam Act for sending out millions of unsolicited emails for weight-loss products. The US Department of Justice has filed a criminal complaint against four Detroit-area men under the federal Can-Spam Act, in the first case sparked by the legislation. In a filing on Wednesday in the US District Court of Michigan, federal attorneys contend that Daniel J. Lin, James J. Lin, Mark M. Sadek and Christopher Chung violated the terms of the Can-Spam Act by creating massive email campaigns that marketed fraudulent weight-loss products. The Can-Spam Act takes aim at individuals who create and dispense unsolicited and fraudulent email.

Gina Balaya, a spokeswoman for the US Attorney's Office of Detroit, said Chung and Sadek were arrested and appeared in court on Wednesday. The men were subsequently released on unsecured bonds of $10,000 (£5,654).

The two Lins have not yet been reached by authorities, she said. The criminal complaints are good for a period of 30 days, during which Assistant US Attorney Terry Berg will decide whether to seek an indictment.

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