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Scams

by Mike Masnick

Wed, Sep 3rd 2003 2:41pm





Online Porn Scammer Zuccarini Finally Arrested

from the there-you-are... dept

John Zuccarini has finally been caught. If you hadn't been following the case, this is the guy who would register typo domain names, which would then lead people to porn sites. Even worse, it would use never ending pop ups and mouse-trapping to make it pretty damn difficult to get away from the porn sites as more and more would keep on opening. Zuccarini, however, has been something of a disappearing man. When originally arrested he simply refused to give an address, leading to an amusing exchange where he always answers the questions being asked to him without admitting to where he lives (the original link is now gone, but thanks to the web archive you can still read the transcript). Later, the FTC ordered Zuccarini's websites to be taken offline and that he be fined $1.9 million. Of course, he kept claiming that these did not effect him as he was never properly informed about them - because no one could actually find him. Well, they've found him now. He was arrested this morning in Hollywood. The arrest, though, is on slightly more serious charges than cybersquatting. He's being charged with "enticing children to pornography" with his thousands upon thousands of typo domains. This is the first case under the controversial new law saying that it's illegal to use "misleading" domain names to point to porn.

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  1.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Sep 4th, 2003 @ 3:29am

    Hollywood, Florida

    Hollywood, Florida not Hollyweird, California

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  2.  
    identicon
    Jenna Jameson, Sep 4th, 2003 @ 12:54pm

    Pr0n or Porn

    Although this man's method of making a bunch of $$$ is abhorrent, I fail to see how he is responsible for enticing children into pornography. Why not charge the teachers and parents for not properly beating their children into correctly spelling " Barney " ? Hell, why not charge the child too ?
    The Man is scum ... thats for sure, but should he be charged as enticing children into porn ? No, False advertising, yes.
    I'm tired of people using the umbrella of " its for the children " to cover everything they find morally reprehensible.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  3.  
    identicon
    Joe Public, Sep 10th, 2003 @ 1:30pm

    Re: Pr0n or Porn

    I don't agree with your statement. I feel you have the right to choose whatever line of business you feel. Adult entertainment is legal, and I'm fine with that. This is not a battle with the porn industry. But when this guy uses the name of disney to bring children to porn, that's a problem. He is only being charged with directing children to these sites. How is that using an umbrella against things people feel are morally reprehensible? Children should not be exposed to porn. Agree?

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  4.  
    identicon
    Steve Bell, Sep 13th, 2003 @ 6:01pm

    Re: Pr0n or Porn

    Children should not be exposed to objectionble material of any kind - porn or violence. Yet we seem to worry far more about sexual material than we do about the violence visited on our children daily through the TV and movies.

    Some of the titles of grossly violent TV entertainment are just as misleading, in referring to "action" or comedy, as are this man's fake website names.

    Ironically, in my country, New Zealand, one of the earliest cases of "typo-squatting" siphoned "membership" fees AWAY from a porn site into the fakers' own account. Police declined to act, and one senior officer was quoted as saying the victoms "were looking for porn, so they wouldn't have a great deal of public sympathy."

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  5.  
    identicon
    welby, Sep 26th, 2003 @ 12:00pm

    Re: Pr0n or Porn

    A fishing lure is typically an artificial item meant to look like something that a fish would be attracted to, attached to a hook. It's not the real thing, but something close enough in appearance (similar to a typographical error when looking for a website) to get the fish to bite. Once the fish bites it will find itself on a hook, which will prove difficult to free itself from (similar to web-sites that spawn other windows so the closure of one creates three more). Lure is a noun in this sense, but it has a verb meaning, too. The closest synonym of the verb is "entice."

    Entice is the right word, I'm afraid.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


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