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Spammer's Porsche Up For Grabs

Posted by timothy on from the please-go-with-the-house-ideas dept.

gaurab writes "Anti-Spammers would love this. In this news piece, the BBC reports that AOL is putting up a Porsche it seized from a spammer last year in a sweepstakes. What next -- 'Spammer's House' in another sweepstakes? Is this the sign of things to come? From the story: '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.'"

34 of 232 comments (clear)

  1. Does it come with a CD Multiplayer? by Claws+Of+Doom · · Score: 5, Funny

    And any guesses what they'll fill it with?

    1. Re:Does it come with a CD Multiplayer? by nathanhart · · Score: 4, Funny

      AOL CD's no doubt

      --
      GeekLeak.com - Silly name, serious geeks
    2. Re:Does it come with a CD Multiplayer? by Verteiron · · Score: 4, Informative

      AOL spams snail mail at their own cost. Spammers spam e-mail at the cost of those who operate the mail servers.

      --
      End of lesson. You may press the button.
  2. hmm by mandalayx · · Score: 4, Insightful
    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.


    Nice car, but....you're telling me the spammer made $1mm+ and all AOL got was a $47k Porsche?

    Well, I suppose the publicity might work, like how the RIAA got many people to think that copyright violations = stealing.
    1. Re:hmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Who cares, I'm already planning my customized license plate for it: INBOXSTR

      It just works on so many levels.

    2. Re:hmm by EricWright · · Score: 4, Insightful

      As you quoted... "AOL won the car... as PART of a court settlement..." That phrasing makes me believe that this is not "all AOL got"! If they also obtained cash, a) do you think they're going to tell you how much, and b) do you think there would be a public raffle of money? They're just trying to liquidate the spammer's former assets. The cash is already liquid.

  3. What about the registration plate by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Do you have to keep SPMNG CNT, or are you allowed to change it?

  4. Funny, but it makes an interesting point by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This spammer can afford a Porsche (and probably its replacement). How many OSS people can say the same? This is an interesting commentary on the economic value of the two groups to society.

    1. Re:Funny, but it makes an interesting point by Elgon · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The Labour Theory of Value has been shown to be largely a pile of crap: Something is worth what people will pay, not what is _should_ be worth according to subjective beliefs.

      I do agree though that this leads to some wierd (and undeserved) results.

      Elgon

    2. Re:Funny, but it makes an interesting point by Lumpy · · Score: 4, Insightful

      low morals and scruples has ALWAYS been more profitable than doing the right and good thing.

      low life scum always have more stuff. Look at the ex -executive branch of Enron, the CEO of SCO, Hitler, Stalin, Amelia Marcos, the list goes on.

      Why do you think the Mafia are in business? because Crime is profitable... so the more scummy you are the more money you get.

      until there is backlash.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    3. Re:Funny, but it makes an interesting point by fredrikj · · Score: 5, Funny

      the ex -executive branch of Enron, the CEO of SCO, Hitler, Stalin, Amelia Marcos, the list goes on

      Hitler really doesn't deserve being listed next to McBride. Don't be such a troll.

    4. Re:Funny, but it makes an interesting point by Smallpond · · Score: 4, Funny

      Yes. In fact he sent in 10,000,000 entries.

  5. Hey that was mine! by Yo+Grark · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It says so right here:

    Want to own seized property at half the cost? Want to buy a house for a fraction of the mortgage?

    http://www.hillnews.com/news/043003/ss_auctions. as px

    Bah. Hey AOL, you REALLY want to help rid the world of spammers? ANSWER OUR EMAILS OF ABUSE.

    Yo Grark

    --
    Canadian Bred with American Buttering
  6. Better News: by hplasm · · Score: 5, Funny

    Spammer's Balls Up For Grabs

    --
    ...and he grinned, like a fox eating shit out of a wire brush.
  7. I can see it already in my inbox... by mrselfdestrukt · · Score: 5, Funny

    Order v14gra now and get chance to win a p0r5che b0xt3r from A07.

    --
    "I used to have that really cool,funny sig ,but it got stolen."
  8. Allow me to be the first to say ..... by Alranor · · Score: 4, Funny


    Ha. Ha.
    </Nelson>

  9. Screw the Car... by Spencerian · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...I want that spammer's ball sac for a potpourri-filled an air freshener.

    Yeah, pal, I got your "male enhancement" right HERE...

    --
    Vos teneo officium eram periculosus ut vos recipero is.
  10. Funny... by hookedup · · Score: 5, Funny


    Seems this spammer bought one of the most expensive penis enhancement products you can get..

  11. Smash it up by EasyTarget · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Come'on AOL, give those members who this guy spammed a chance to have at the car with a hammer! Better still offer them a chance to buy the oppertunity to urinate on the upholstery, proceeds to CAUCE! All sorts of fun activities spring to mind. You can the webcast it so the spammer can watch ;-)

    Sweepstaking it is sooo tame.

    --
    "Oops, I always forget the purpose of competition is to divide people into winners and losers." - Hobbes
  12. Wait... by ForestGrump · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Aol goes after other spammers, but doesn't AOL spam its own customers?

    I remember using AOL in years past and they would throw crap at you telling you to BUY THIS and THIS every time you logged into an AOL account.

    -Grump

    --
    Is it true that more people vote for the winner of American Idol, than vote for the president? -Ali G.
    1. Re:Wait... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

      you can turn AOL's ads off via Keyword: Marketing Preferences

  13. It should be disclosed to the public... by adzoox · · Score: 4, Insightful
    I think these high living SPAM execs salaries should be as well known as say Apple Computer's compensation for Steve Jobs. You can almost gaurantee that these people don't report their full income on taxes or "do creative accounting" like - every penis enlargement pill that DOESN'T sell from an email solicitation - is actually a loss - justifying it by saying the record industry says that every download = a lost sale.

    I would like to see the people that waste our time get what's due to them - spending every hour of my wasted time in court and in jail!

    --
    Yell & scream & rant & rave... it's no use... you need a shaaaave ~ Bugs Bunny
  14. aol hates spam?! by hugzz · · Score: 5, Insightful

    when can i take the CEO of AOL's car for all those damn CDs they send me?

  15. Promo for this competition... by irokie · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hi Sam,
    youu may already have w0n b1g!!!
    genuinne P0RSCHE!

    click here to seee how to claim your pr1ze http://www.23fwdnvsoadaldsd%3ejdbf.com/

    Love,
    Sam

    xcoiifidnbbibobdoodofn---

    --
    and if you see me strut, remind me of what left this outlaw torn...
  16. So next week by redcaboodle · · Score: 5, Funny

    the RIAA auctions P2P users iPods?

    --
    -- Put crudely, the world is an extremely large problem instance. (Russel/Norvig Artificial Intelligence)
  17. Why the Porsche? by peterdaly · · Score: 5, Insightful

    My initial thought was since when can a private company seize private property? It seems they got it as part of a deal with the government...but that being said, why a $40k Porsche? It's said this guy made over $1M.

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

    Makes sense, and it's a great idea. Getting hundreds of thousands of dollars does not make an attention getting headline, and not have made slashdot. Taking his Porsche, now that's a headline grabber.

    AOL is known for being marketing savy, and that's what this is about.

    -Pete

    --
    Soccer Goal Plans
    1. Re:Why the Porsche? by sjlutz · · Score: 5, Informative

      IANAL, but my roommate is. The Porsche was probably part of the liquidation of assets. If they guy didn't have enough hard cash to pay the settlement/award to AOL, AOL can then start liquidating his assets to get all the money they were awarded. I don't know who gets to choice which particular assets get "disposed" of, but I guess AOL worked with the government to just keep the Porsche as a Porsche and not convert it into cash. The spammer probably made out on the deal also, as I believe the cost of turning assets back to cash would have been charged to the spammer. So instead of converted the $40K Porcshe into $30K cash or whatever someone would have bought it for minus the cost of selling it, the spammer probably got the full 'value' out of it.

  18. wrong message by Cardinal+Biggles · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So what AOL is telling people is... Spammers have Porsches! Spamming => money!

    My next question as a newbie would be: so how do I become a spammer? Where do I apply & when can I start?

  19. Porsche by black+mariah · · Score: 4, Funny
    This car comes complete with...
    • Plenty of insurance
    • An elnarged... uh... 'exhaust'
    • A Nigerian bank account
    • A screensaver
    • A trunk full of Viagra
    • A low mortgage rate
    --
    'Standards' in computing only impress those who are impressed by things like 'standards'.
  20. Symbolic Value by steveoc · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Quoting from the BBC article - "AOL says the Porsche has "symbolic value""

    No shit !

    ALL Porsches have symbolic value - that goes deeper than the badge.

    If you ever get the chance to own a Porsche, especially an older model, then do spend some time digging around under the surface and get your hands dirty. Every single component of the car has a wonderful consistent feel to the design of it. You can see that a strong single mind stamped its presence on each design decision, right down to the choice of nuts and bolts.

    Every peice of a Porsche is brutally simple, with no concessions made for fashion or cost. Its just like a really good peice of software.

    Problem is, the Boxster is a damn fine car, but is perhaps the first real Porsche to have made concessions towards fashion and cost. (The VW 924 does not count, since it was a never meant to be a Porsche).

    If you win the Porsche sweepstakes, then have a bit of fun in the Boxster, but then sell it, and use the money to get 1973 Carrera 2.4, or build up an insane 2.7ltr 911 RS replica. Then again, its your car, your dream, dont let me force my dream down your throat.

    Having said that - whoever wins the Porsche sweepstakes needs to remember 1 very important thing - it is pronounced 'Porrr-Sch-A' not 'Porsh'. Calling a Porsche a 'Porsh' is like calling Bill Gates the 'inventor of the internet.'

  21. The spammer's name won't be confidential... by dcavanaugh · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If the winner chooses to disclose the VIN number. Armed with that, I'm sure some "researchers" can get the ownership history.

  22. unidentified spammer gonna be identified by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Is this legal? If the spammer was unnamed as part of the deal, then the car's serial number will be a dead giveaway to the spammer's identity.

  23. so does it come equiped with... by clarkc3 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Does the porsche come equiped with AOL's top speed technology?

  24. mark my words by WormholeFiend · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Slashdotters are laughing now, but just wait until the RIAA/MPAA take a cue from AOL and start liquidating pirates assets...

    (Well, at least, if more actors are caught "lending" their preview copies of movies, we could end up with some pretty nice lottery items.)