I assume these guys were affiliates since they were paid a commission for selling this bogus anti-spyware software. Like I always say – market with Integrity, because whatever you do online can definately come back to bite you.

TechWeb | News | Oregon Man Fined $84K In Spyware Case

In January, both Microsoft Corp. and Attorney General Rob McKenna filed lawsuits against Secure Computer of White Plains, N.Y. for allegedly selling the bogus anti-spyware program Spyware Cleaner. Three men were also charged with advertising the software: Zhijian Chen, of Portland, Ore.; Seth Traub, of Portsmouth, N.H.; and Manoj Kumar, from Maharashtra, India.

Chen is the first to be penalized in the broader case, and also holds the dubious honor of being the first defendant nailed by Washington state’s 2005 Computer Spyware Act.

Chen was paid a commission of 75 percent of the purchase price, or $37.46, for each copy of Spyware Cleaner sold to users fooled by his ersatz messages.

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