×
  • remind me tomorrow
  • remind me next week
  • never remind me
Subscribe to the ANN Newsletter • Wake up every Sunday to a curated list of ANN's most interesting posts of the week. read more

Forum - View topic
NEWS: Otakon Asks for Info on Suspected Fraud by Ex-Staffer


Goto page 1, 2, 3  Next

Note: this is the discussion thread for this article

Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> Talkback
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Dargonxtc



Joined: 13 Apr 2006
Posts: 4463
Location: Nc5xd7+ スターダストの海洋
PostPosted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 12:57 pm Reply with quote
I wonder if members will have to pay more if they come forward? I would think not.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
Tofusensei



Joined: 15 Feb 2008
Posts: 365
PostPosted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 1:12 pm Reply with quote
They really can't posthumously ask for any more money from his victims Smile
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
prime_pm



Joined: 06 Feb 2004
Posts: 2333
Location: Your Mother's Bedroom
PostPosted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 1:20 pm Reply with quote
I was wondering why my badge had He-Man on it.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
fighterholic



Joined: 28 Sep 2005
Posts: 9193
PostPosted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 1:49 pm Reply with quote
I wonder how they figured out which ones were fraud, too.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime
kokuryu



Joined: 07 Apr 2007
Posts: 915
PostPosted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 2:11 pm Reply with quote
Hmmm, I have to double-check my messages, I think I got something for this thru MySpace...

Maybe he was giving out discounts to his friends or something like that...
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Viga_of_stars



Joined: 17 Aug 2006
Posts: 1240
Location: Washington D.C. in the Anime Atelier
PostPosted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 2:35 pm Reply with quote
Wouldn't the copies be obvious based on the way they could have been crafted. Or maybe he just stole passes and sold them?

Either way, he's done.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
se37



Joined: 08 Dec 2007
Posts: 229
Location: Annapolis, Maryland
PostPosted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 2:53 pm Reply with quote
With how they "checked" the badges this year I don't think anybody would have noticed they were fake. After all, a few baseball fans (a baseball game was going on at the time in Baltimore) got into the Dealers Room a few times because they really didn't check the badges. I remember that was one thing I didn't like this year was they didn't seem to really notice the badges that much.

Not only that, he worked for Otakon so he would have had access to the real badges and make copies of them and sell them himself.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website AIM Address Yahoo Messenger MSN Messenger ICQ Number My Anime My Manga
jvowles
Otakon Representative


Joined: 23 Nov 2004
Posts: 219
Location: Maryland
PostPosted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 3:00 pm Reply with quote
I can't say too much more, but it seems clear that he actually used legit convention badge materials. And that people who bought badges in good faith are not being penalized by us. Though, since we lack their membership information, they can't be entered into the member database, which means they won't be able to take advantage of other member perks or to renew their membership next year. If they come forward, we get a better idea of the extent of his actions, and we can legitimize their memberships. Everyone (who deserves to) wins.

I suppose it's inevitable that something like this would happen sooner or later, but it's extremely disappointing. And there are several staffers who are understandably livid about the whole thing.

But yes, either way, he's done.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
BellosTheMighty



Joined: 27 Nov 2007
Posts: 767
PostPosted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 4:11 pm Reply with quote
jvowles wrote:
I can't say too much more, but it seems clear that he actually used legit convention badge materials. And that people who bought badges in good faith are not being penalized by us. Though, since we lack their membership information, they can't be entered into the member database, which means they won't be able to take advantage of other member perks or to renew their membership next year.


Blessing in disguise. Seriously, that renewal form on the website is such a piece of shit. I tried to pre-reg twice seperate times, got the little confirmation e-mail each time, and when I got through the traditional line from hell Thursday, they checked the database and told me I had renewed three different times and none of them had been "completed"- meaning they knew I had told them three times that I was interested in attending, and yet they couldn't give me my badge because the system was broke. They told me to wait on ANOTHER line to speak to "Registration Issues", or whatever it was called, but I knew where that was going- 5-10 minutes of some unappreciated gofer fiddling with a keyboard trying to understand what's going on, then a shrug and a "I'm sorry, I can't help you." I wound up having to pay the on-site rate.

*ahem*

Sorry, little rant there... Uh, good convention otherwise, though.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
PatrickD



Joined: 03 Dec 2003
Posts: 93
Location: California
PostPosted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 5:25 pm Reply with quote
jvowles wrote:
But yes, either way, he's done.

I'm glad that you published his name. It should be helpful to any other convention he applies to since hopefully they'll at least do a Google search on their new applicant. I suspect this is something they'd definitely want to take into consideration when reviewing the application.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Sariachan



Joined: 09 May 2005
Posts: 1487
Location: Italy
PostPosted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 6:18 pm Reply with quote
jvowles wrote:
I can't say too much more, but it seems clear that he actually used legit convention badge materials. And that people who bought badges in good faith are not being penalized by us. Though, since we lack their membership information, they can't be entered into the member database, which means they won't be able to take advantage of other member perks or to renew their membership next year. If they come forward, we get a better idea of the extent of his actions, and we can legitimize their memberships. Everyone (who deserves to) wins.

I suppose it's inevitable that something like this would happen sooner or later, but it's extremely disappointing. And there are several staffers who are understandably livid about the whole thing.

But yes, either way, he's done.

Is this con the same as the one in which happened all that drama about the Artists Alley?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website MSN Messenger My Anime My Manga
GregZor



Joined: 07 Nov 2007
Posts: 25
Location: Northeast Ohio
PostPosted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 6:37 pm Reply with quote
It's terrible that they posted his name just because he allegedly did something maybe illegal.

I hope he sues for defamation.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
BellosTheMighty



Joined: 27 Nov 2007
Posts: 767
PostPosted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 6:39 pm Reply with quote
GregZor wrote:
It's terrible that they posted his name just because he allegedly did something maybe illegal.

I hope he sues for defamation.


For ripping off people by selling fake badges? No sympathy. Actually, I can't see how ANYONE would have sympathy, unless... are you the guy in question? 0_o
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
fighterholic



Joined: 28 Sep 2005
Posts: 9193
PostPosted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 6:50 pm Reply with quote
GregZor wrote:
It's terrible that they posted his name just because he allegedly did something maybe illegal.

I hope he sues for defamation.

His name is Geoff Beebe. There, I've said it. His name will now be available on the forums for everybody to see who hasn't read the article. I can't wait to get the call saying that somebody wants to drag my ass into court.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime
hikaru004



Joined: 15 Mar 2004
Posts: 2306
PostPosted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 7:09 pm Reply with quote
Otakon's long gone and a memory now. I fail to see the point in all of this.

What membership perks are actually being missed by those with the other badges?

Is Otakon after reimbursement from the badge holders?

And if this guy does turn out to be innocent, I hope he sues their butts off.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> Talkback All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Goto page 1, 2, 3  Next
Page 1 of 3

 


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group