Wellington ISIG Monthly Meeting
- start
- 2010-07-29 1800
- end
- 2010-07-29
- location
2nd Floor, Chicago Sports Cafe, No.1 Queens Wharf, Wellington. (Next to the TSB Events Centre)
- description
- ISIG Monthly Meeting
- label
- ISIG
Abstract
This months speaker is Toni Demetriou from the Department of Internal Affairs Anti Spam Unit. Toni will be discussing the Department's domestic enforcement activity and the challenges and responsibilities faced through the application of the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act in New Zealand. This will provide a good opportunity to meet some of the team and hear about what they doing to fight spam in New Zealand, and how they are doing it.
Of particular interest will be a look into the Department's investigation into the Herbal King spamming organisation, who were involved in sending over two million emails to New Zealand addresses alone, between 5 September and 31 December 2007, earning sales commissions of more than $US2 million from this global operation. Spamhaus called this group the “Largest Spam Gang” in the world in 2007/2008.
This investigation resulted in successful High Court action in Christchurch by the Department against Lance Atkinson, his brother Shane Atkinson and Roland Smits. Who paid over $NZ250,000 between the three of them. The United States Federal Trade Commission also fined them $USD 15.5 Million Dollars!
Speaker Bio
Toni Demetriou is the team leader and senior investigator with the Anti Spam Compliance Unit. Toni spent fourteen years as a serving police officer with the West Midlands Police Service in the U.K. In 2003 he emigrated with his family to New Zealand and in 2004 Toni joined the Regulation and Compliance Branch at the Department of Internal Affairs. In August 2007 Toni then joined the newly established Anti Spam Compliance Unit, at the Department as an investigator. In August 2009 Toni was seconded as the team leader and senior investigator with the Anti Spam Compliance Unit. Toni is commencing a Masters of Science in Forensic Computing and Cyber Crime Investigation at the University College of Dublin in Ireland.