Verizon Wireless wins injunction against text spammer

Basking Ridge (NJ) - Verizon Wireless has won a permanent injunction against Specialized Programming and Marketing, a company that sent almost 100,000 spam messages to cellphones of Verizon Wireless customers. Specialized Programming and Marketing and its owner Charles Henderson were ordered to pay damages "in excess of 200,000."

The carrier said that it initially filed the suit against Passport Holidays in October 2005, alleging that the Florida-based company arranged and coordinated the sending of the text messages to Verizon Wireless customers, which urged them to take action to claim a Bahamas cruise prize. In February 2006, Verizon Wireless filed an amended complaint, after officials from Passport Holidays named Specialized Programming and Marketing and Henderson as the company and individual that sent out the spam messages.

A permanent injunction against further spamming by Passport Holidays was entered in February 2006 as the result of a settlement between Verizon Wireless and Passport Holidays. The settlement also required Passport to pay $10,000, which the company said was donated to the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence.