NationStates Jolt Archive

Now in addition to being the only sanctioned virus making company, AOL has decided it's going to go pirate and search for spammer's buried treasure - I shit you not.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060816/tc_nm/media_aol_golddigger_dc

AOL believes a spammer has buried $500k in gold and platinum in his backyard. the question of how, or better yet why, a spammer came to acquire gold and platinum bars has not been answered.

Well, isn't that crazy? They certainly must be crazy if they think...

*grabs pick and shovel*

Excuse me. I'll be right back.

do they really have the right to do this?

Do you have the exact address? *looks for a shovel*

Cool, I love pirate treasure hunts. :)

If the gold exists, it'll be for a good reason. I don't think AOL is any crazier than they already were for looking for it, provided they have a good reason.

The spammer obviously knew he was going to get caught eventually, and convicted. He decided to invest in a material whose value does not fluctuate much - gold. Bury it, leave it ten years until he's out of prison and considered "clean", then dig it up and sell it in discrete quantities. It's almost foolproof, except AOL clearly got wind of it somehow.

That there's pure insanity I tell you what.

I really have issues with AOL/Time/Warner/porbably a lot of other crap now too. They are one of the largest multinationals, and they have their hand in politics. It is disgusting.

If the gold exists, it'll be for a good reason. I don't think AOL is any crazier than they already were for looking for it, provided they have a good reason.

The spammer obviously knew he was going to get caught eventually, and convicted. He decided to invest in a material whose value does not fluctuate much - gold. Bury it, leave it ten years until he's out of prison and considered "clean", then dig it up and sell it in discrete quantities. It's almost foolproof, except AOL clearly got wind of it somehow.
Who the fuck sells gold and platinum bars?

If AOL are Pirates then AOL can do what they want. See linky in sig.

If AOL are Pirates then AOL can do what they want. See linky in sig.
Is link NSFW?

Who the fuck sells gold and platinum bars?
Argor-Heraeus. (http://www.argor.com/argor/e_argor_home.nsf/$frameset/start)

Gold bars/coins are traded all the time, because they're tax-free and their value doesn't change with inflation. It's very common for rich people to store a portion of their wealth in gold-bar form.

"In recent years, AOL has recovered Hummers, Porsche sports cars, gold coins and other property worth millions of dollars from convicted spammers"

:eek: how do you even make money spamming!?

oh and I wonder if there using AOL search engines :D

Argor-Heraeus. (http://www.argor.com/argor/e_argor_home.nsf/$frameset/start)

Gold bars/coins are traded all the time, because they're tax-free and their value doesn't change with inflation. It's very common for rich people to store a portion of their wealth in gold-bar form.
I think you are ignoring the platinum bars.

I think you are ignoring the platinum bars.
I think you didn't bother reading the website.

Precious metals are worldwide, 24 hours a day traded commodity and pricing follows its own rules. It is part of the service of Argor-Heraeus, to give our customers access to the international markets for gold, silver, platinum with market information and competitive execution of purchase and sale orders, or to arrange financing facilities.

how do you even make money spamming!?
You turn in other spammers to AOL.

Now in addition to being the only sanctioned virus making company

Umm... What? Since when? Are you certain of this and able to provide links for it? What about Norton's and AVG and Spybot and ZoneAlarm and McAfee's and even good ol' Scandisk? If this statement is indeed acquirate.... *Shudders*

As for how he got all those lovely, lovely bars of platinum and gold.... He probably invested all the cash he made as a spammer into gold and platinum bonds in the stock market, then turned the aforementioned bonds into actual bars. As for why he'd do it, and even bury them on his parents'(not his own)property, here's a possible explination why: He be economically smart. He knew when he became a spammer that there was a good chance of getting rich(further down the article, it mentions AOL taking Porsches, gold coins, and bunches of other stuff from other convicted spammers), firstly. Secondly, he knew that, if the market ever went bust and the dollar became worthless, gold, silver, and other metals(like platinum, which is more valuable than gold)would be good comodities to have. Thirdly, he stashed it all on someone else's property in case he was ever caught. Of course, he may have just gotten the gold&platinum bars for the prestige and bribing ability;). Either way, he forgot one tiny little thing: The government's been monitoring transactions involving gold, silver, and other precious metals ever since FDR requested people to give him their gold back during the Depression(and possibly before, otherwise, how'd the Feds know where to look when a few hold outs didn't?).

As for why AOL would be looking for that beautiful, shiny $500,000 in gold and platinum, it's pretty simple: He was caught spamming in their system without working for them or their affiliates, ergo, they sued him, won, and want the money the judge said they can get from him. Now about AOL losing their minds: Silly TPH! You can't lose something you never even had! :p :D

So...uh...HOW are they legally doing this?
I mean, if I were to say, "I beleive that AOL-Time Warner has over a million dollars in their vaults and because I am sueing AOL-Time Warner, I am going to go and get my money from them there." would it be legal?
Somehow I think were missing something here O_o

You turn in other spammers to AOL.

This is possible? Until now I never thought Id want AOL again.

Oh and what's this in the OP about AOL being the only sanctioned virus making company? Sanctioned by whom? For what purpose?

Don'tgonearthere, AOL is part of a multi-billion dollar monopoly. They are incapable of doing anything illegal:mad:.

Umm... What? Since when? Are you certain of this and able to provide links for it? What about Norton's and AVG and Spybot and ZoneAlarm and McAfee's and even good ol' Scandisk? If this statement is indeed acquirate.... *Shudders*

Am I the only one who noticed that TPH said virus making and not anti-virus making?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/frisbeeteria/aol1mm02.gif (http://ebtx.com/business/aolsucks.htm/)

Am I the only one who noticed that TPH said virus making and not anti-virus making?
No, but that's not news.

So...uh...HOW are they legally doing this?
I mean, if I were to say, "I beleive that AOL-Time Warner has over a million dollars in their vaults and because I am sueing AOL-Time Warner, I am going to go and get my money from them there." would it be legal?
Somehow I think were missing something here O_o
They already won the case, according to the article. They're recovering damages, forcibly, if need be. The law is on their side.

They already won the case, according to the article. They're recovering damages, forcibly, if need be. The law is on their side.
While admitting I have only a third graders understanding of this, it leaves a foul taste in my mouth that it's AOL 'seizing' things like this and not an official mediary(sp, and spell check didn't help me so I'm just going to hope you understood the word I was going for).

While admitting I have only a third graders understanding of this, it leaves a foul taste in my mouth that it's AOL 'seizing' things like this and not an official mediary(sp, and spell check didn't help me so I'm just going to hope you understood the word I was going for).
Chances are they use an external debt collection agency, or, perhaps, an internal one.