I'M GONNA SUE! No, really-in fact I ALREADY HAVE.
Ok, put up or shut up, folks.
![Embarassed :oops:](./images/smilies/icon_redface.gif)
You said you wanted a lawyer who was interested?
![Mad :x](./images/smilies/icon_mad.gif)
I found one, and he's taken the case, on contingency. So grab a torch and pitchfork and join me!
Well, I was in the same boat as everyone else, but I bit the bullet, contacted and retained a lawyer. A class action claim has been filed against TD Ameritrade in my name. You can sign on as well. Join the fight!
I had no idea how long this had been going on. There's some info and a
FORM-CLICK HERE you can fill out if you might want to join the suit. The laws are such that class representatives are needed who reside in Alabama, Kansas, Illinois, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Washington, Wisconsin, and/or West Virginia. It's my understanding that in these states, only, you can't sign away your right to be part of a class action suit - i.e. agreements to do so are unenforceable. Looks like there are dozens of folks who have also noticed the problem and have used disposable email addresses and could join, like Seth Breidbart (of Breidbart Index fame). Mention your handle here if you fill out the form.
Oh, and if spamgourmet itself is interested, that would be great!!!
The email addresses I gave to Ameritrade were of the form of spamgourmet's high security addresses. The addresses were valid for years before I gave 'em to Ameritrade, and I received no mail in that time. Many other valid addresses have also received no mail to date.
Oh and I got malware? I don't think so. Mac OS X with nothing extra on it but mozilla apps, used for nothing but my TD Ameritrade account. After they provided my address to the pump 'n dump crew the first time, I made sure there were no excuses left to point to on my end.
Ameritrade initiated the spam by providing my address, and the addresses of the other complainants on this thread and others, to the system that fed the botnet that executed the requisite SMTP commands. And all the spam to date is stock spam. Kryai's right; it's sad that efforts like his (I've done the same) to responsibly report security flaws are routinely ignored.
Why do they deserve this?
I think Ameritrade has repeatedly lied to their customers about the problem for years, instead of fixing it. That's the kind of gross negligence that merits legal action. And that's assuming ameritrade even has a security problem, as opposed to a lack-of-ethics problem. Perhaps Ameritrade didn't send the spam, the logic being that they make serious money already, and hence wouldn't be so stupid as to set themselves up for such a huge liability. I somewhat buy the argument, however Skilling and Fastow et. al of Enron were dumb enough to set themselves up! Smart people do incredibly stupid things with great regularity. (There's even a book with approximately that title about it!)