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Posted on 01/10/2005 2:02:48 PM PST by anotherview
Last Update: 10/01/2005 22:07
Tsunami 'wave rat' sells domain name, gives cash to Chabad
By Reuters
TORONTO - A Canadian student dubbed the "wave rat" for offering the domain name tsunamirelief.com for $50,000 on the online auction site eBay has sold it and donated the money to a Jewish charity's relief efforts, the gaming company that bought it said Monday. Josh Kaplan, 20, branded a "wave rat" by the New York Post, which suggested he was trying to profit from the disaster, sold the domain name to the Montreal-based internet gambling company for $10,000. The entire amount was given directly to Chabad of Thailand, the company said.
Kaplan's mother Linda told Reuters last week her son had always intended to donate the money from the online auction to charity and had not tried to profit from the Indian Ocean tsunami, which struck on December 26 and has killed more than 150,000 people.
A spokesman for the gaming company said Monday he also believed Kaplan had the best intentions.
"We spoke with him and we wanted to verify his story. We believed him to be quite sincere about not trying to profit from the sale of the web site," said spokesman Drew Black. "He was helping to raise as much as he could for those in need."
Kaplan was not available for comment Monday.
Tsunamirelief.com now lists 13 charities, including the American Red Cross, CARE USA and Save the Children, with direct links to their web sites to make donations.
The domain name had been initially registered to Michelle Tirado of Southbury, Connecticut, the morning she heard of the tsunami disaster. She listed it for sale with an asking bid of $99, but donated it to Kaplan, who she said claimed to represent an international fund-raising effort.
Why can't he make money on his name? So a freakin earthquake happens. Are we all now supposed to be Communists? He is stupid for caving on this B.S.
I happen to think giving to charity is a good thing. I happen , as a Jew, to think giving to Chabad to do relief work in Thailand is a good thing. Did he cave or did he simply intend to find a creative way to give to the relief effort?
Sounds like a really creative way to make sure $ got to the ones who need it. He had something of value, sold it and gave the proceeds to charity. Capitalism AND Charity in action!
Good. I'm glad he got caught in his scheme and was rightly embarassed.
I think momma threatened no chicken soup for the rest of his life when this story came to light.
lol Well he donated it to a good charity.
But what does a Montreal-based internet gambling outfit expect to gain from having a charity page, especially since 'tsunamirelief' is a rather specialized and seldom-used item? I'll bet the page is loaded with flashing gambling ads and probably installs malware.
Apparently a small link to themselves at the bottom of the page. Looks quite clean. Apparently the page was already like it is now and only the headline was modified.
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This is the first I've heard of this story. What evidence is there that he intended to personally profit from the sale of the domain name?
No direct evidence but he and his family aren't exactly going to admit it are they? He had no intention of giving any of the money to charity, otherwise he would have sold it for $10k to Chabad the first time. Previous interviews of the woman he got the domain from suggests he misrepresented himself and he just got outed and embarassed.
I don't see any more evidence of this than there is of his planning to profit from it. Absent specific evidence, I'd rather give him the benefit of the doubt.
otherwise he would have sold it for $10k to Chabad the first time.
Which would have cost the charity $10K. Instead, he was able to give them $10K.
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