Eleven spoof e-mailers from the US and Canada face court action after Amazon.com filed federal lawsuits against them on Monday and Tuesday this week. As a deterrent to others, the suits seek millions of dollars in punitive damages.

With e-mail spoofing, the identity of the sender is disguised; on the web, one site is made to look like another. There are varying levels of sophistication, but each is a form of fraud.

As David Zapolsky, Amazon.com's Associate General Counsel, said in a statement,

"Spoofing is a problem faced by any company with a trusted domain name that uses e-mail to communicate with its customers. It's not just spam; it's consumer fraud."

E-mails in Amazon.com's name promoted enlargement pills and other typical spam products as well as products more likely to come from the retailer, like home appliances.

Amazon.com asks consumers to report suspected spoofing in its name by e-mailing [email protected]. It adds that it is currently working with several ISPs and other owners of trusted domain names to find a technical means to defeat the spoofers.

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