Christopher Smith, nicknamed "Rizler", was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Experts at IT security and control firm Sophos have welcomed news that a notorious spammer who made millions of dollars selling medications online has been sent to jail.

27-year-old Christopher Smith, who used the nickname "Rizler", was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Prosecutors had argued for a stiff sentence after Smith made a death threat against a witness's children.

In May 2005, federal authorities raided Smith's home and his company Xpress Pharmacy, seizing his passport and $4.2 million in assets, including a $1.1 million house and luxury vehicles worth $1.8 million. At the same time the FBI closed down his 85-employee company. Investigators concluded that Smith had been selling medicines to customers without proper prescriptions and selling drugs without a license. Smith appeared in a federal court after the raid, but four days later fled to the Dominican Republic.

As Sophos reported two years ago, Smith was eventually arrested at Minneapolis St Paul International airport after stepping off a flight from the Caribbean.

"If anyone is in any doubt about the riches that criminal spammers can make for themselves, then they should read the story of Christopher 'Rizler' Smith," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos. "Pharmacy spammers are amongst the lowest of the low when it comes to internet crime - not only deluging people with millions of unwanted emails, but also potentially putting lives at risk through dangerous medications. The authorities should be applauded for finally bringing this spam king to justice."

Last week, Sophos published its Security Threat Report July 2007, examining the latest trends in malware, hacking and spam. One of the topics examined was the increasing number of organized cybercrime gangs being caught by the authorities.

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6 July 2005
Suspected spam king Rizler arrested at airport will appear in court today, Sophos reports

Suspected spam king Christopher Smith (also known as "Rizler") is expected to appear in court today after his arrest at Minneapolis St Paul International airport.

Smith was arrested shortly after midnight after stepping off a flight on Thursday 30 June from the Dominican Republic. Smith had been operating there since a US federal judge in May shut down his lucrative businesses, Burnsville Internet and Xpress Pharmacy Direct, and ordered him to stop selling drugs.

Through his companies, Smith is alleged to have sent more than one billion spam emails either to AOL email addresses or through AOL email accounts. The FBI claims that Smith has already made about $18 million this year.

"There are huge profits to be made from spam, and organised criminals are prepared to break many laws in their greed for money. Rizler has been one of the most notorious spammers, and anyone who has been deluged with spam offering medication and drugs will welcome the US authorities making progress in this case," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos. "Of course, spam wouldn't be profitable if no-one bought the goods sold via spam. Everyone should protect their email accounts from spam and viruses, and think twice before ever purchasing goods advertised via unsolicited email."

According to the FBI, 25-year-old Smith had flown to the Dominican Republic under a false passport, used a cash card to obtain money from a bank account after it had been seized by a court order, and had his wife Anita, his Minnesota girlfriend and others bring him thousands of dollars in cash.

On May 10, federal authorities raided Xpress Pharmacy and Smith's home, seizing his passport and $4.2 million in assets, including a $1.1 million house and luxury vehicles worth $1.8 million. At the same time the FBI closed down his 85-employee company. Investigators concluded that Smith had been selling medicines to customers without proper prescriptions and selling drugs without a license. Smith appeared in a federal court after the raid, but four days later fled to the Dominican Republic.

The US Attorney's office claims that Smith had broken court orders, and is recommending that he be held in criminal contempt and jailed for six months.

Court documents allege that by 21 June, Smith had used aliases to set up new websites and was selling drugs without prescriptions online and through a new call center he had set up in the Dominican Republic.

Sophos recommends companies protect themselves with a consolidated solution which can defend businesses from the threats of both spam and viruses.

Suspected spam king Rizler arrested at airport will appear in court today, Sophos reports

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Report: XPress Pharmacy Direct

Category: offshore scams
XPress Pharmacy Direct ripoff crooks took my $108.99 and never delivered they never answered me GIBRALTAR INTERNATIONAL Internet

GIBRALTAR INTERNATIONAL, Internet,
Gibraltar
Submitted: 7/23/2004 9:31:45 PM
Modified: 7/23/2004 9:32:00 PM
Reported By
Joe
murfreesboro, Tennessee

I ordered on the internet and they show tracking from them (over seas) to me, but I never received anything! These people are crooks! NO phone number or email address listed on their website(Welcome to xpress-rx.com) pharmacy direct. I contacted them by their online form four times, but never got an answer! I got lucky and got my $108.99 back through my credit card company. DO NOT DEAL WITH THESE CROOKS!!!

Joe

Rip Off Report: XPress Pharmacy Direct ripoff crooks took my $108.99 and never delivered they never answered me GIBRALTAR INTERNATIONAL Internet

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Domain Name: XPRESS-RX.COM
Registrar: GODADDY.COM, INC.
Whois Server: whois.godaddy.com
Referral URL: http://registrar.godaddy.com
Name Server: NS1.TRAFFICCLUB.COM
Name Server: NS2.TRAFFICCLUB.COM
Name Server: NS3.TRAFFICCLUB.COM
Name Server: NS4.TRAFFICCLUB.COM
Status: clientRenewProhibited
Status: clientTransferProhibited
Status: clientUpdateProhibited
Status: clientDeleteProhibited
Updated Date: 28-jul-2007
Creation Date: 23-may-2006
Expiration Date: 23-may-2008


Last update of whois database: Fri, 3 Aug 2007 11:34:24 UTC
Registrant:
Domains by Proxy, Inc.
DomainsByProxy.com
15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
United States

Registered through: GoDaddy.com, Inc. (Internet Domain Name Registration, Domain Transfers. Your domain name search starts here.)
Domain Name: XPRESS-RX.COM
Created on: 23-May-06
Expires on: 23-May-08
Last Updated on: 28-Jul-08

Administrative Contact:

Private, Registration XPRESS-RX.COM@domainsbyproxy.com
Domains by Proxy, Inc.
DomainsByProxy.com
15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
United States
(480) 624-2599 Fax -- (480) 624-2599

Technical Contact:

Private, Registration XPRESS-RX.COM@domainsbyproxy.com
Domains by Proxy, Inc.
DomainsByProxy.com
15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
United States
(480) 624-2599 Fax -- (480) 624-2599

Domain servers in listed order:
NS1.TRAFFICCLUB.COM
NS2.TRAFFICCLUB.COM
NS3.TRAFFICCLUB.COM
NS4.TRAFFICCLUB.COM

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