Mega-D, We're not talking vitamins here, we're talking spam

The U.S. Charges a Russian Man With Spamming

Oleg Y. Nikolaenko, a 23 year old man from Russia, has been charged with violating an international spam law.  Internet security experts estimate that, on some days, his spamming software was responsible for 1/3 of all spam mail.  They believe he is linked to the "Mega-D" which is considered a major global spam producer.  It is estimated that 500,000 or more computers are infected with Mega-D and are sending spam mails around the globe.

How they caught him:
An undercover FBI agent ordered Viagra through an email sent by Nikolaenko's operation.  When the agent received bogus herbal pills, the cyber squad from the FBI was pulled in to investigate internet fraud.

Their initial tip came from catching a man who was conspiring to sell counterfeit Rolex watches.

Of course, other spammers just want to fill the void left behind by the arrest of Nikolaenko.

Sources:  "Russian accused of mass-spamming charged in US', Dinesh Ramde, AP, December 1, 2010.