So folks, this is all old news now and this page is being maintained because people still look at it... historical reasons and all that.
The events reported here happened in 1997 and 1998. They sucked.
People attacked me, shut down my servers, threatened me with loss of my ISP service, dragged me away from productive, profitable work for hours and days at a time.

Spam still exists. It still sucks.
But that's no reason to stop fighting for your right to be left the hell alone. That's really what it comes down to.
It's your e-mail address... your communications... your name.
If you tell them to leave you alone, they should.

What proper company thinks even for a minute that it can BULLY people into buying its products, just by blasting them with message after message trying to hype whatever it is they're selling?

None actually. Real companies don't do this. And with a bit more work, the bogus company-like get-rick-quick scamsters will be out of our lives too.

Looking forward to it. Keep fighting for your personal right to privacy and peace and quiet. Someone spams you, raise hell with their ISP, and their ISP's ISP, and the company hosting their website, and best of all, whatever the company is whose products they are "promoting". Real companies, good ones who give a damn about their customers, won't stand for this... It's their good name and reputation that are being damaged too.



Below is the archive of old message, events, recaps...


The FBI and Scotland Yard
have arrested an individual
in conjunction with these and other attacks.

Updated 24 Jan 1998 2100 EST
 
That's all I know right now. If the individual is formally charged, and if and when more information becomes available, it will be posted here. The reward offer is withdrawn, with thanks to the police agencies who investigated and seized equipment.

Original information from this site will remain online due to the number of links to the site from elsewhere, and because the story of this attack is still attracting news coverage. The site will remain up to serve as a repository of factual information about these attacks.

My interview with CompuNotes appeared in their Jan. 23, 1998 edition.





Old news
History of the attacks
Original call to Alltel shareholders



 

New Media Group attacked and threatened
US$3,000 reward fund offered

Updated 12 August 1997 2300 EDT

On August 12th, an eighth "anonymous" fraudulent mailing was sent to thousands of people around the world. As before, we have processed several thousand bounced messages, answered hundreds of messages of complaint, and continued the ongoing criminal investigation.

The reward is increased to $3,000 plus one case of Hormel Spam (tm) donated to a food pantry in your name for information leading to a successful criminal or civil prosecution of any party responsible for any of the Internet attacks against jim@newmediagroup.com

Spread the word... do something good and get paid for it. We're not looking for traceroutes or samples here -- we have all that. We need to know why this happened and who is directing these attacks. For those who have asked, an investigation at the Federal level is in progress and I am in close communication with appropriate authorities, who have copies of all relevant evidence known to date.

There's not much else to report. The attackers are using the same methods as always, and people on the Internet are becoming quite smart about ignoring this trash instead of trying to retaliate.

Clearly, everyone's work against harassment and junk mail is having an effect.

Executive summary of the attacks
$3,000 reward offered.
 

A call to stop irresponsible junk e-mailers

Calling Alltel shareholders
Take a stand against unwanted, offensive junk e-mail.
 
If you are tired of the junk and pornographic e-mail flooding your in-box, as most people on the 'net are, and are a shareholder of Alltel Corporation (NYSE: AT), please get in touch with me. You can help make a difference. Alltel has recently become a 5% owner of AGIS, known on the Internet as a major supporter of junk e-mailing companies such as Cyberpromotions. We need to mobilize shareholders to pressure Alltel to demand responsible conduct from AGIS.
Details - read the rest of this call to action

0.
Please continue to follow this page and news.admin.net-abuse.email for updates and more info as it's cleared for publication. This website has received thousands of hits. Thanks for taking the time to learn the truth. Please bookmark the page and check back, and don't ever tolerate harrassment and attacks on the Internet.
Earthlink Network said it well: "It's your Internet" TM

1.
Letters went out 5/23 from my attorneys to parties whose computers were used in the attack on my company and systems. Content of the letters and addressees, with my attorney's approval, will be posted once we are certain all addressees have received their copies. In response to all who have asked, yes the AG of Pennsylvania is on the distribution list.

2.
The FBI now has information about this incident and an agent is looking into what happened. If you have any records which may be of use to the FBI, please (a) hold on to them and (b) let me know what you have.

3.
Have you been attacked in any way similar to the attack which was carried out against jim@newmediagroup.com, his company and his name? If so, contact jim@newmediagroup.com. You will need to have evidence - logs, copies of messages, any police reports or other records that exist about what happened. You've seen the worst of the Internet. Let's join together to put a stop to these cowardly attacks.

4.
If you have logs or copies of original forged messages with headers bearing the name jim@newmediagroup.com, from the attacks of May 15-26, 1997, please save them. They may prove useful to have other systems' logs which corroborate the substantial logs I already have. If you've got records you think are particularly good, contact me now so I can begin an inventory of the available evidence.  

Study up! To see how bad it's become, read Infowar.com - a great resource, cataloging threats, defenses, and horror stories. This one's in there, and many others...


 
Jim Youll's PGP Public Key is here:
http://www.newmediagroup.com/jykey.html
If it isn't signed, it isn't the real thing.
 
 
 
Support these people, join them, and contact your Congressperson to push for the legislation they are proposing:
The Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial E-mail (CAUCE)
 
 

System Log and Notes - showing the first denial of service attempt and e-mail bomb in progress

Remembering Jim Nitchals, June 5, 1998
Jim Nitchals was a dedicated and very successful opponent of junk emailers, harassers and Internet bullies, who died June 5 1998. Jim's the guy who finally convinced Sanford Wallace to cut it out. Who knows what more he could have accomplished. We carry on without him, remembering the lessons he taught by example, and remembering a kind friend who put ideals and the well-being of others ahead of money and self.
 
Nothing I could say here could possibly explain what a great guy he was, or how much he was loved. A page of tributes to Jim Jim brokered all kinds of peace in this mess. We'd be farther along if he were still in it with us.



Copyright 1997-1998 Jim Youll, all rights reserved
Jim Youll is jim@newmediagroup.com
This document may be freely distributed provided any such redistribution presents the document in its original unmodified form including the copyright notice and this message.
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