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Russian Spammer Gunned Down
David Utter
Staff Writer
2007-10-11
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The murder of Alexey Tolstokozhev ended with a calling card - a final head shot by the killers.
UPDATE!: McAfee thinks this tale of spammer punishment may be a hoax. More here.
Alex Loonov blogged about Tolstokozhev's murder after seeing it on Russian television. Tolstokozhev had been shot several times in a luxury home near Moscow.
Apparently the shooter pumped a final shot into Tolstokozhev's head. Loonov said this was a trademark of Russian hitmen.
Tolstokozhev had been a big-time pharma spammer, selling Viagra and other drugs via spam links to pharmacies. These paid Tolstokozhev a piece of the action, which may have been worth up to $2 million just in 2007.
Though Loonov said one has to suspect one of the billion people who have been aggravated by his spamming as the killer, this sounds more like criminal competition. It won't be surprising to hear of an Organizatsiya connection, should the authorities probe the murder deeply.
Multi-million dollar profits in a country where Loonov said the average monthly salary is about $400 will attract criminal attention. The crime sounds like it was meant to send a message - play ball or else - to other spammers being offered certain "partnerships" with organized crime.
About the Author:
David Utter is a business and technology writer for SecurityProNews and WebProNews.
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