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FEDS TO CRACK DOWN ON JUNK E-MAIL FRAUD

June 12, 1997 Web posted at: 8:16 p.m. EDT (2016 GMT)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Federal regulators put the junk e-mailindustry on notice Thursday that businesses will be punished ifthey put false information in unsolicited mail they send tomillions of Internet users.

The Federal Trade Commission also asked the industry to come upwith ways to stem the flood of commercial mail clogging theInternet and creating bottlenecks that make it difficult to getonline.

The FTC said it would ask industry groups to supply lists ofjunk-mail senders to help in the new drive to detect fraud.Penalties a junk mailer might face for breaking the fraud law couldinclude an injunction to stop the illegal practice up to tens ofthousands of dollars in fines for a repeat offender.