Real or Bullshit? AOL spammers porsche car giveaway?

[MrJackMeHoff]

AOL is spamming this contest everywhere. I say its BS. Sides what kind of spammer would drive a lowly Boxter?

http://corp.aol.com/press/press_release033004.html


America Online's Spamfighting Shifts into 'High-Gear' by Seizing Spammer's
Assets - a Porsche Boxster S Convertible


DULLES, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--03/30/2004-- AMERICA ONLINE'S SPAMFIGHTING
SHIFTS INTO 'HIGH-GEAR' BY SEIZING SPAMMER'S ASSETS - A PORSCHE BOXSTER S
CONVERTIBLE

-- AOL Members 'Driven to Anger' by Spammers' Tactics Now Get a Chance to
Drive Away in Spammer's Luxury Sportscar

-- Unprecedented AOL Sweepstakes Begins Today with AOL Members Given Chance
to Win a Spammer's Luxury Car Seized by AOL in Litigation

Think spammers are in the driver's seat in the war on spam? Think again!

America Online today announced it has seized a luxury Porsche sports car
from a major spammer who AOL caught thanks to members reporting spam. The
spammer purchased the car with profits derived from sending junk email to
online consumers - including AOL members. AOL seized the car at the successful
conclusion of a legal action taken against the spammer.

Now, as a gesture of support and thanks to its members for their cooperation
in the fight against spam and spammers, AOL is launching a unique and exciting
sweepstakes that will award the Porsche to a lucky AOL member.

This legal victory stems from one of five lawsuits filed by AOL in Federal
court on April 15, 2003 against dozens of individuals and corporations accused
of sending spam to the AOL network. AOL's lawsuits were based on leads provided
by members who clicked on the "Report Spam" button.

The car AOL has confiscated from the spammer is a fully-loaded 2002 Porsche
Boxster(R) S Cabriolet 2-door, with a 3.2-liter, 250-horsepower engine, manual
transmission, seal grey metallic exterior and tan leather interior, CD-player,
Bose(R) music system, and Sport package. Porsche calls the Boxster(R) S "the
most powerful roadster that Porsche has ever created."

"AOL has always placed our members in the driver's seat when it comes to
spam fighting, and now we are going to put one of our members in the driver's
seat of a spammer's sports car. We see this as a great way to teach spammers a
lesson, and reward our members for their continued use of the 'Report Spam'
button," said Randall Boe, AOL's Executive Vice President and General Counsel.

"We are revving-up our fight against spam. For too long, spammers have taken
too much away from AOL and our members - including time, resources, and money.
With the help of our members, we're striking back at spammers and aim to take
away everything they acquired through profits made from spam. That means taking
away their spam tools - such as computers, routers, servers and other
equipment, and their spam toys, including their houses, their boats, and their
cars. Spammers have benefited personally from their evasive, deceitful and
fraudulent tactics, and now its time to get personal with them. Confiscating
spammers' assets hits home - literally - and it works," Boe added.

Asset forfeiture is now one of many weapons available to spam victims and
increasingly available to government prosecutors enforcing newly enacted spam
laws. Virginia's anti-spam statute, enacted on July 1, 2003, empowers state law
enforcement to seize spammers' assets. The new federal CAN-SPAM law, which went
into effect January 1, 2004, also empowers the U.S. Government to seize
spammers' assets in criminal prosecutions.

Sweepstakes Details

The "AOL Anti-spam Sweepstakes" began at 5am EST today and ends at 11:59pm
EST on April 8, 2004. The sweepstakes is open to legal residents of the 48
contiguous United States and District of Columbia, 18 years of age and older,
who are AOL members as of March 29, 2004. The winner will be selected in a
random drawing on or about April 9th and notified shortly thereafter, and will
be announced publicly on or about the week of April 19th. To enter and for
Official Rules, go to AOL Keyword: 'Spam' or 'Spamfighters'. Members must
complete and submit the online entry form to enter for a chance to win. AOL is
providing transportation for the winner from their residence to AOL
headquarters in Virginia, where they will take possession of the car. No
Purchase Necessary to Enter. Void where prohibited.

AOL's Ongoing Legal Battle Against Spam

AOL has established a long and successful track record when it comes to
litigating against spammers. Since 1996, AOL has filed 28 lawsuits against over
200 individuals and corporations accused of spamming members. As a result of
its proactive legal efforts to help protect members from junk email, AOL has
won Court injunctions to stop the spammers, won millions of dollars in
penalties and damages, and forced spammers into bankruptcy.

Most recently, AOL joined its industry partners Microsoft, Earthlink, and
Yahoo! to announce the first major industry civil lawsuits against hundreds of
spammers using the new federal CAN-SPAM law. AOL also filed a civil lawsuit in
February in federal court in Florida against four named defendants - dubbed the
"Sunshine State Spammers" - who allegedly conspired with international spam
operators based in Thailand to route junk email to the AOL network.

And in December, AOL collaborated with Virginia Attorney General Jerry
Kilgore and others to announce the first-ever criminal indictments under
Virginia's new, toughest-in-the-nation anti-spam statute. Two out-of-state
spammers from North Carolina stand accused of spamming AOL members and could
face jail time, asset forfeiture, and monetary penalties.

-- For a color photo of the actual car seized by AOL and being awarded to
an AOL member, and for a color image of the sweepstakes entry form, please go
to http://corp.aol.com/press/press_release033004.html

About America Online, Inc.

America Online, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of subsidiary of Time
Warner Inc. Based in Dulles, Virginia, America Online is the world's leader in
interactive services, Web brands, Internet technologies and e-commerce
services.

CONTACT:America Online, Inc., Dulles Nicholas J. Graham, 703-265-1746

SOURCE: America Online, Inc.

[i am a lurker]

old news.

[MrJackMeHoff]

Yeah 4 days ago is old news eh!?

[raster]

it's real

[Cyborg 2.0]

real and old

[MrJackMeHoff]

Originally posted by raster
it's real

I know the contest is real but did they really take this car I dont believe that shit for a second seems like some sort of ploy they never catch anyone who "just mails stuff". I never heard of any big capture.

[i am a lurker]

Originally posted by MrJackMeHoff


I know the contest is real but did they really take this car I dont believe that shit for a second seems like some sort of ploy they never catch anyone who "just mails stuff". I never heard of any big capture.

if you havent heard of any 'captures' as in asset liquidation, then you are kind of out of the loop, or clueless, no?

[Danielle]

Real and old news. About time spammers get what they deserve. LOL!

Hugs,
Danielle

[Sneka]

100% real