Illinois Attorney General Sues Cell Phone Txt Msg Spammers

Image courtesy of Blackston said the defendants haven't been served, and she couldn't predict how much money the state might collect.

We hate cell phone text message spammers! Hate! Not only sending txt spam annoying, it’s illegal. That’s why the Illinois Attorney General and Cingular are suing the hell out of two Floridians who sent some 5 million txt messages to cell phone users all over the US, prompting more than 200 complaints in Illinois. The messages encouraged recipients to visit a website selling a time-share property.
From the State Journal-Register:

    “As far as we know, this is the first lawsuit by a state attorney general to try to sue someone who tried to send unsolicited text messages,” said Elizabeth Blackston, an assistant state attorney general with the office’s consumer fraud bureau….
    Blackston said the defendants haven’t been served, and she couldn’t predict how much money the state might collect.

    “We asked for what we’re allowed to ask for under the Consumer Fraud Act,” Blackston said. “We do not know about the assets of the defendants.”

We applaud Illinois for taking this seriously. Txt msg spam is annoying and expensive. —MEGHANN MARCO

Suspected cell phone spammers sued [SJ-R]

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