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AOL in great spam bounty giveaway

Want to know what it is like living the life of a successful spammer? A competition from ISP AOL is offering the bounty recovered from a spam conviction to help you find out.

A Hummer H2 (gigantic military-style car loved by ostentatious celebrities), $75,000 cash and $20,000 in gold are to be won in a competition on the AOL website beginning today [Wednesday]. The loot was recovered from Brad Bournival, a spam scourge who at the height of his powers delivered millions of spam emails from 40 computers every day.

According to AOL on one day alone in January 2004, the spammer's efforts triggered more than 100,000 complaints from its members.

"I am delighted that our efforts are paying off, literally, with the seizure of these assets and the sweepstakes," said Jon Miller, chairman and CEO of AOL.

The gold, cash and the Hummer were seized as part of the first lawsuit filed by AOL under the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003.

The sweepstake promises daily cash prizes and the grand prize of the Hummer, which is laden with further Bournival booty, including Sopranos DVDs, binoculars and the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Yesterday SC reported Microsoft is to receive $7 million from self-styled "Spam King" Scott Richter. It plans to put the money back into its own anti-spam campaign.

In addition to the Hummer et al, AOL has also obtained a $13 million judgment in the case against the remaining members of Bournival's spam gang but is yet to say what it plans to do with it.

www.aol.com

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