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International spam operation shut down

A major international spam operation said to have been behind a series of emails marketing bogus drugs has been shut down in the US.

The operation by Australia-based Lance Thomas Atkinson and US-based Jody Michael Smith received the matching orders following a court case by the Federal Trade Commission.

Fake drugs to enhance male sexual performance, fake luxury watches and weight loss solutions among others are some of the spam messages the two and their companies are accused of peddling.

However, online security expert Graham Cluley of Sophos says despite the action, consumers still have to act to prevent encouraging such rogue operations.

He said: "It's unlikely that action like this is going to result in a dramatic drop in the amount of spam you encounter - but the more effort that is taken to crack down on criminal spammers, the better for all of us.

"It seems that the FTC are doing their bit to tackle the spam menace, and you can help to. Make sure your PC is properly defended with security software so it cannot be compromised by hackers and used to relay spam."

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