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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
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    674

    AOL sell off spammer's (seized) car.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3581435.stm

    Spammer's Porsche up for grabs
    Internet giant AOL has ratcheted up the war against unsolicited e-mail with a publicity-grabbing coup - an online raffle of a spammer's seized Porsche.
    AOL won the car - a $47,000 Boxster S - as part of a court settlement against an unnamed e-mailer last year.

    "We'll take cars, houses, boats - whatever we can find and get a hold of," said AOL's Randall Boe.

    According to Mr Boe, the Porsche's previous owner made more than $1m by sending junk e-mail.


    Hitting them where it hurts

    AOL is one of the noisiest opponents of the evasive spam trade, and this month joined forces with Microsoft, Yahoo and Eart***** to sue hundreds of spammers.

    Seizure of property is becoming a major tactic in these lawsuits, since guilty spammers often protest their inability to pay large fines.

    The Porsche-owning spammer, whose identity remains confidential, was one of a group sued last year for having sent 1 billion junk messages to AOL members, pitching pornography, college degrees, cable TV descramblers and other products.

    Mr Boe said the Porsche was seized mainly for its symbolic value, as the obvious fruit of an illegal trade.

    The Porsche sweepstake lasts until 8 April, and will be open only to those who were AOL members when it was first announced.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
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    The article forgets to mention that April 8, 2004, AOL will be holding a sweepstakes for its AOL Members and the grand prize is.. you guessed it.. the Porsche they just seized.

  3. #3
    Hah, that's pretty good.
    CEO of SingleHop

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Hartland, WI
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    716
    Good for them It's setting an example.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
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    674
    Originally posted by Rob83
    The article forgets to mention that April 8, 2004, AOL will be holding a sweepstakes for its AOL Members and the grand prize is.. you guessed it.. the Porsche they just seized.
    umm isn't that the last line in the article?

  6. #6
    Originally posted by Umbongo
    umm isn't that the last line in the article?
    Yep it is

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Knoxville, TN
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    645
    I just came into the lounge to post about this. I think it's pretty neat.
    Official rules limit contest to continental US AOL members who were AOL members prior to March 29. So they're not using it to pull in a bunch of new members.
    It does note that the car is in Porsche's certified pre-owned program.
    Laura K.
    http://www.madmousergraphics.com
    graphic design for grownups

  8. #8
    what would really make the spammer mad is if they sell their car for about $100.00 haha
    Money is the root of all evil. So if you don't want to go crazy, give it all to me

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    Portland, OR, USA
    Posts
    484
    I thought i would never say this

    but "Right on AOL" keep going after those god darn spammers.

    Thanks
    - James

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Location
    Reading, England
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    4,240
    the Porsche's previous owner made more than $1m by sending junk e-mail.
    If he's got over $1m in the bank I'm sure he's not particularly bothered about it all....
    Steve

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Posts
    674
    Originally posted by Vortex-Steve
    If he's got over $1m in the bank I'm sure he's not particularly bothered about it all....
    if he had $1 mil in the bank they wouldn't have seized his car.

  12. #12
    According to Mr Boe, the Porsche's previous owner made more than $1m by sending junk e-mail.
    That was pretty dumb to publish. Why not just send the other remaining idiots on the planet a big notice, that says spamming can earn you over a million $$ and we'll just take your porche..
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  13. #13
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Posts
    4,028
    Damn you AOL... I want my Porsche back

    Very cool idea!

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    Vancouver, Canada
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    760
    I guess the guy didn't own a house? If I had $1m I would!

    Unless the judge wouldn't let them take his house.
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  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    Louisiana
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    All the junk mail that AOL sends to my house, like they have room to talk.
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  16. #16
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    London, UK
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    Originally posted by pixetech
    All the junk mail that AOL sends to my house, like they have room to talk.
    But you agreed to receive it at somepoint.
    Hyperconfused (™)

  17. #17
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    North Carolina
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    1,693
    I know someone who's on AOL, how do you enter this thing?

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Location
    Houston, TX
    Posts
    341
    Crap... I just cancelled the trial account I used when I changed from cable to DSL.


  19. #19
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    Louisiana
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    561
    Originally posted by Loon
    But you agreed to receive it at somepoint.
    Um, incorrect
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  20. #20
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    FT Worth, TX
    Posts
    5,096
    I signed up for the car. Now being one of the people to suggest harsh punishments such as cutting off the fingers that sent that spam I deserve the car!
    Kerry Jones

  21. #21
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Knoxville, TN
    Posts
    645
    Originally posted by Hiccups
    I know someone who's on AOL, how do you enter this thing?
    1. HOW TO ENTER: The AOL Anti-Spam Sweepstakes (the "Sweepstakes") begins at 5:00 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) on March 30, 2004 and ends 11:59:59 p.m. ET on April 8, 2004 (the "Entry Period"). A participant must be an AOL member to enter this Sweepstakes and may only enter via an online method described below. Online: To enter the Sweepstakes, sign on to America Online and visit AOL Keyword: Spam or Spamfighters or go to aol.com, type in your screen name and go to http://aolantispamsweeps.onlinepromo.com. Complete and submit the online entry form during the Entry Period to receive an entry in the Sweepstakes. There is a limit of one entry per person/per AOL screen name, regardless of method of entry. Entry must be received by 11:59:59 p.m. ET on April 8, 2004 to be eligible. Information collected from entrant is used only for the purpose of the prize drawing and to notify the winner and will not be re-used, sold or shared in any manner by America Online, Inc., (the "Sponsor"), Marden-Kane, Inc., or any third parties. Once the Sweepstakes has ended, all information supplied by entrants will be removed from the database.
    Laura K.
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    graphic design for grownups

  22. #22
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Goleta, CA
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    I would have kidnapped the guy flown him over international waters and well you know. Anyway at least they did something.
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  23. #23
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    Feb 2004
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    Australia (Crikey)
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    2,271
    well it's a step in the right direction

  24. #24
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Posts
    13,624
    THIS IS ONE OF AOL'S GOOD MOVES!!!!!!!

    Maybe it will be a lesson to all other idiot spammers TO STOP THE CRAP!!!!!!!

    The Dude

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