The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), on Tuesday, shutdown one of the largest spam operations in the world which accounted for up to a third of all major spam around the world. The masterminds behind this operation were two individuals - an American and a New Zealander. Their method involved sending out billions of e-mail messages offering prescription drugs, male enhancement drugs and weight loss pills at dirt cheap prices. According to Steve Baker, Director of the FTC's Midwest Region, "Servers in China hosted the Web sites and the drugs were shipped from India, while operatives in Cyprus and the former Soviet republic of Georgia processed credit card information."

The gang violated three rules outlined in the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003.

1. The origin of the e-mail was masked by spoofing the header.
2. The e-mail did not include an "opt-out" link.
3. The e-mail did not include a physical postal address for the organization.

In addition to the above, the operation did not ask the buyers for proof of a doctor's prescription and the shipment did not have doctor's/dosage information. "A federal judge in Chicago issued a temporary injunction to halt the operation and also froze its assets. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating and those involved could also face criminal charges", Baker said.

The bottom line? Delete ALL e-mails that offer prescription drugs at low prices while offering male enhancement and weight loss pills in the same e-mail.