WebProNews

Scott Richter, CEO of direct marketing firm OptInRealBing.com, LLC, and New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer have reached a settlement. Richter was sued last December, accused of sending misleading spam email messages with fraudulent information. I first reported on this lawsuit earlier this month.

Richter and his company have agreed to pay a $40,000 fine and $10,000 toward the investigative cost. The total amount, $50,000, is considerable lower than the $20 million Spitzer said he was going after against Richter, OptInRealBig.com and other individuals.

The company also agreed to provide Spitzer's office with customer information and all advertisements it sends as well as using the proper identifying information when registering domain names. Spitzer has said that if Richter doesn't comply with these standards he will find himself back in court facing harsher penalties.

Spitzer also has other cases proceeding against alleged spammers, including Delta Seven and Synergy6.

A similar suit filed by Microsoft in Washington State is not affected by the outcome of this settlement.

Jeremy Muncy is a staff writer for WebProNews.com