MOSCOW, August 2 (RAPSI) – The Sverdlovsk Regional Commercial Court has upheld the lawfulness of a 100,000 rubles ($1,500) fine imposed on Alfa Bank for texting spam advertisements, the court press-service informs on Tuesday.

The case was initiated as a customer made a claim that advertisements of financial services were being sent to his registered telephone number.

The Sverdlov Regional Directorate of the Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) relied on the provisions of the advertising law allowing dissemination of advertisements over telecommunications, including telephone, fax and mobile networks only on condition of the prior consent of a subscriber or an addressee.

The antimonopoly watchdog has found that Alfa Bank infringed on these provisions and imposed an administrative fine in the amount of 100,000 rubles ($1,500) on the bank. The commercial court upheld this decision having dismissed the claim of Alfa Bank seeking to overturn it.