eros.com raid
- Thread starter duetoday
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That is in no way shape or form a local raid. It’s the DHS and the only way that raid happens is due to something international.
Yeah but what i meant is i doubt they will start hitting Montreal local agencies any time soon... Probably pressure from the states for any international part and the article mention the place raid was in the states.
Its not about hitting Montreal agencies. This is a big deal even in Canada because the website was an international advertizing platform. Many Canadian women and agencies (at least Toronto agencies) used it for advertising. Whats more, to make sure they were not being used for underage or trafficked women, Eros insisted that women provide government issue ID verifying their age and identity in addition to unblurred pics. They wanted to be absolutely certain they were not part of any of that and thought it was enough to be ignored by the authorities. So now you have at least 40-50 women in Montreal and about 80 in Toronto (not to mention Vancouver) whom Homeland has real information on.
The possibilities of what could happen with that info is endless: Barred from entry into the US - which could affect 'touring' in the short term and maybe legitimate job and business opportunities in the long term. Sharing info with Revenue Canada: A number of these women could be subject to tax audits and get in trouble if they did not report their income. Not to mention what could happen if this data cache is 'leaked' and falls into malicious hands. A jealous x-BF finding out what his old flame is up to and following her to a meet with a John?
The possibilities of what could happen with that info is endless: Barred from entry into the US - which could affect 'touring' in the short term and maybe legitimate job and business opportunities in the long term. Sharing info with Revenue Canada: A number of these women could be subject to tax audits and get in trouble if they did not report their income. Not to mention what could happen if this data cache is 'leaked' and falls into malicious hands. A jealous x-BF finding out what his old flame is up to and following her to a meet with a John?
The fact that Eros is American based and its American office was raided is totally irrelevant. The only relevant information is who did the raid: not local LE- DHS. That means it is big time international.
Exactly. Solicitation and Prostitution is a state crime - DHS being involved means there is a federal and international component to this.
Yes. If it was purely federal it would be the FBI. The DHS being involved signifies that it is an international operation and other countries are cooperating.
At least so far, this case sounds like what happened to the San Francisco ad site Redbook. I don't think there is any significance to the fact that Eros has advertising for some escorts in a few foreign countries, notably Canada and the U.K. It's just another absurd example of law enforcement agencies trying to curry favor with anti-prostitution feminists 
and religious conservatives in Congress who control the budgets of the Federal agencies involved. "See, we're fighting sex trafficking. Now give us more money."
02.24.15
THE RISE AND FALL OF REDBOOK, THE SITE THAT SEX WORKERS COULDN'T LIVE WITHOUT
wired.com
..Then, on June 25, 2014, visitors to RedBook got a rude shock. Instead of a directory of links to sexy ads, forums, and reviews, they saw a dire-looking alert from the Department of Justice, FBI, and IRS stating that RedBook's domain had been seized. The Feds' message, still up today, asserts that there is probable cause that the site was involved in “money laundering derived from racketeering based on prostitution.”
Federal agents arrested Omuro, 54, along with Annmarie Lanoce, a 41-year-old bespectacled mother from Rocklin, California, a suburb of Sacramento. (Lanoce worked for Omuro, helping to moderate RedBook and manage its operations.) Their homes were raided and their computer equipment confiscated. In July, Omuro was charged with using the Internet to facilitate prostitution and 24 counts of money laundering. Lanoce was charged with using the Internet to facilitate prostitution. Released on bond, they were prohibited from going online or associating with former users of the site.
The United States attorney's indictment against Omuro claims he took in more than $5 million. The site brought in revenue from fees paid by RedBook users for access to the site's enhanced features. It's unclear why the authorities targeted RedBook and not the array of other sites where sex is openly bought and sold. The US attorney's office declined to offer any comment, but its indictment speaks for itself.
Both Omuro and Lanoce initially pleaded not guilty to all charges, but in November Lanoce changed her plea in the hope that it might allow her to avoid a felony sentence in exchange for good behavior. A few weeks later Omuro followed suit and entered his own guilty plea to the charge of using the Internet with the intent to facilitate prostitution, agreeing to forfeit nearly $1.3 million in cash and property. Omuro's guilty plea marked the first-ever federal conviction of a website operator for the crime of facilitating prostitution. Both Omuro and Lanoce are due in court in March for sentencing...
and religious conservatives in Congress who control the budgets of the Federal agencies involved. "See, we're fighting sex trafficking. Now give us more money." 02.24.15
THE RISE AND FALL OF REDBOOK, THE SITE THAT SEX WORKERS COULDN'T LIVE WITHOUT
wired.com
..Then, on June 25, 2014, visitors to RedBook got a rude shock. Instead of a directory of links to sexy ads, forums, and reviews, they saw a dire-looking alert from the Department of Justice, FBI, and IRS stating that RedBook's domain had been seized. The Feds' message, still up today, asserts that there is probable cause that the site was involved in “money laundering derived from racketeering based on prostitution.”
Federal agents arrested Omuro, 54, along with Annmarie Lanoce, a 41-year-old bespectacled mother from Rocklin, California, a suburb of Sacramento. (Lanoce worked for Omuro, helping to moderate RedBook and manage its operations.) Their homes were raided and their computer equipment confiscated. In July, Omuro was charged with using the Internet to facilitate prostitution and 24 counts of money laundering. Lanoce was charged with using the Internet to facilitate prostitution. Released on bond, they were prohibited from going online or associating with former users of the site.
The United States attorney's indictment against Omuro claims he took in more than $5 million. The site brought in revenue from fees paid by RedBook users for access to the site's enhanced features. It's unclear why the authorities targeted RedBook and not the array of other sites where sex is openly bought and sold. The US attorney's office declined to offer any comment, but its indictment speaks for itself.
Both Omuro and Lanoce initially pleaded not guilty to all charges, but in November Lanoce changed her plea in the hope that it might allow her to avoid a felony sentence in exchange for good behavior. A few weeks later Omuro followed suit and entered his own guilty plea to the charge of using the Internet with the intent to facilitate prostitution, agreeing to forfeit nearly $1.3 million in cash and property. Omuro's guilty plea marked the first-ever federal conviction of a website operator for the crime of facilitating prostitution. Both Omuro and Lanoce are due in court in March for sentencing...
Yes but big difference is Eros is not being investigated by FBI, IRS and DOJ, as Redbook was, but rather by DHS. International.
You mean like this "international" case that DHS was recently involved in? Eager, don't fall for DHS propaganda.
Feds Keeping Homeland Secure with Fake Sex-Trafficking Busts
As America deals with terrorist attacks and mass shootings, DHS and the FBI are busy enforcing misdemeanor vice laws.
Elizabeth Nolan Brown|Nov. 1, 2017 3:00 pm reason.com
..Meanwhile in North Carolina, DHS has pitched in to help round-up people with small amounts of marijuana or cocaine on them.
Local media described the DHS efforts as a "human trafficking case." But the only offenses any suspects were arrested for were drug possession, driving with a revoked license, and parole violations—all state-level offenses, and mostly misdemeanors.
The stunt—which the Burlington Times-News describes as a "covert investigative/outreach operation focusing on human trafficking"—took place Monday with assistance from the Alamance County Sheriff's Office, the North Carolina Bureau of Investigation, North Carolina Alcohol Enforcement, police officers from three local departments, and a group called Alamance for Freedom. About 30 law enforcement personnel were involved, according to the sheriff's office.
What this alliance did was just an old-fashioned prostitution sting, with undercover detectives luring sex workers to appointments with a "customer" and cops pouncing when they arrive.
It yielded no human-trafficking arrests, no children were found, and no victims of sex trafficking were rescued.
Even if providers advertising in Canada and the UK are not the targets of this investigation, DHS is walking away with a huge cache of data and servers that has their private information and possible credit card info.
Well pardon my ignorance then. Anybody knowing me knows i wish only peace and prosperity to sex workers. Its a shame in our nation (as humans) if this has bad consequences for them.
I am(was?) very unfamiliar with the website as its implication with the montreal scene is minimal. But i will say if they really made sure the women where legit, as in real and not underrage, kudos to them. Pretty disapointed this get targeted by governement.
I am(was?) very unfamiliar with the website as its implication with the montreal scene is minimal. But i will say if they really made sure the women where legit, as in real and not underrage, kudos to them. Pretty disapointed this get targeted by governement.
I always thought the Eros servers and data farm were located somewhere in the Caribbean like TER (whom I believe are in the Dominican Republic). I couldn't believe the news when I heard the nerve center was in North Carolina. How stupid could they be? I think even merb moved overseas after C-36.
Any Montreal indy or agency that advertises on Eros and tours ladies in the USA should be concerned, ditto with Toronto indies/agencies. Their information is now in the hands of DHS, and the next trip they make to Canada-USA border could be a bit of an adventure.
Same bullshit sales pitch made by the breached and shamed Ashley Madison dating service to its customers. As rollingstone posted earlier, it is unbelievable that the knuckleheads running this company had their data and servers in North Carolina. They should have taken their operations offshore and they will now have a long time to think about that reckless decision.
It just shows that they are a big time operation which is being operated by small-time minds.
Well I am not EB or Patron but I can tell you my ATF says both she and other women she knows are worried about the loss of what was the best advertising site for them. She said that most other ad sites charged the same money but Eros was really good for generating business, especially for women who are fed up with review boards and do not want to advertise there. I told her a smarter, better competitor would show up and take its place but it was of little consolation.
The border crossing is an immediate concern. But with the level of information sharing that happens across the border now its not a stretch to think Rev Canada could not look to see if these women report their actual income or not since its mostly a cash business. Then there is the concern of the information leaking somewhere because apparently everything eventually leaks now.
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