FTC bans man from ecommerce

A man has been banned from running electronic commerce operations for life by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

In the first ruling of its kind, the FTC banned Florida citizen Craig Lee Hare from advertising or selling products online. He is, however, allowed to buy things electronically, provided he uses his real identity.

Calling himself Danny Hare, the defendant sold computers online without ever delivering the goods. He advertised them in online auction houses as discount goods - although they cost as much as $1,450 each. Hare used to work for computer services company, C&H.

A federal court in West Palm Beach, Florida, must approve the injunctions before they take effect. An FTC spokeswoman told Silicon: "There is no guarantee that the court will approve this, but it is extremely likely, given the defendant has already agreed to the sentence." The court could give its approval as early as this month.

If it does, the FTC has the right to monitor Hare's use of the Internet, to make sure he is steering clear of online sales.