Laws On Harrasment

Q: Many of us are getting good at Killing SPAM accounts, many of us us are learning about drop-boxes and URL's that look like %5567&5%56&^*65, but what about actually bugging SPAMMERS and the people who help them SPAM so vigorously that it becomes so annoying for them to SPAM they quit? I have done the following to SPAMMERS: 1. In the case of chain letter SPAMMER (you send $25 to the person on the top of the list and add your name to the bottom), I called their real employer. I let them know what he was up to. After all, *he* contacted me at work. 2. In the case of a new SPAMMER, I found his home number and would call him at home - during the middle of the night )which is when his SPAM came to me) and try to sell him soap. Any many more. Is something wrong with tactics like these? Or like ringing up a SPAMMER's 800# with three hour long calls? Shouldn't we do *everything* we can to stop this scourge of SPAM?

A: One phone call is far from harassment.

The laws on harrasment are clear. I break no law by calling late. And no, one complaint by him will absolutely _not_ shut down my phone line. But unless he spammed you from his work account, I'd say that's generally inappropriate. Reporting the chain letter to the US Postal Inspection Service, however, is a different story - ALWAYS do this. A better use of that phone number would be to take an ad in his home town newspaper, offering to sell his computer and asking that all calls be made after 6:30 PM. Keep it legal. Make it appropriate to the offense. I think the spammers are their own worst nightmare. With just a little more effort, they can piss off everyone.