Spam King Ralsky Out Of Business?

Michigan’s unapologetic king of bulk e-mail is in trouble again. This time, an FBI raid has closed what some consider one of the world’s largest houses of spam.

Warrants unsealed last week revealed that agents in September seized computers, laptops, financial records and disks from the 8,000-square-foot home of Alan M. Ralsky. The $750,000 West Bloomfield mini-mansion was built off profits from the 100 million electronic offers for everything from Botox to mortgages that Ralsky sends every day.

The raid is the latest episode in a cat-and-mouse game between anti-spammers and Ralsky, 60, a gregarious, heavy-smoking ex-convict considered Public Enemy No. 1 in some pockets of the Internet.

Last year, Michigan lawmakers passed legislation that allows parents to put their children’s e-mail addresses on do-not-spam lists. Even though he insists he doesn’t target kids, Ralsky was an inspiration for the bills.

Michelle Malkin also writes about this, saying “The Spam King: Nabbed“, but it should be clarified that he was not arrested, it was just that his computers and material was seized.

Source: Detroit News Technology, Detroit Free Press.