The VOSS CONSPIRACY... fascinating new book

[Jackal1]

Originally posted by Trell
Do you buy from any web site that you happen to find?  or do you look into there past customer history?  do you do any type of reserch into the company?

   OK, let`s use the VOSS scam for a start.
  If you have actualy read or know anything about this particular incident, then you must know that this wasn`t a half assed scam.
  There were a couple of gaming sites with very, very good reps doing interviews and promoting/advertising, etc this "supposedly in development" game.
  On top of that there were a couple of well respected and very well known people`s names and comments linked to this fiasco. Frank Williamson for one. I think that would have been enough for most folks who were allready involved in the flight sim world.

[Masherbrum]

Originally posted by WilldCrd
bah its early the main charaters will show up again soon....patience sir patience

Without a doubt, this is some of the funniest sht I have ever read in all of my 31 years of living.  Yesterday, I almost spit put coffee.

Karaya

[Pongo]

Well. Im just about done..
anyone else got anything?

[Citabria]

Originally posted by Yeager
so what started all this anyway?  voss killed fester?

the direct and only cause of this thread is this F16 Voss conspiracy picture I made after reading this quote on the "bring back big maps thread"
the pic was posted in the big maps thread but lost in the mess. I simply started a new thread with the pic and the quote because I thought I made a very cool book cover and the quote was fascinating. and I titled the thread as a book to be released, and the thread seems to have turned into a book with 600 posts lol.


but the original catalyst for me making the book cover picture is...

it is a more refined version of my origional VOSS VAPORWARE FLIGHT SIM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY OFFICIAL SEAL picture i made after voss posted a really retarded whine... some peopel said I should include a scorpion and f16s in the seal so I was going to make a new one and made the book cover instead.



my desktop PC is fried and i am typing on my laptop and looking for entertainment on the BBS. my laptop sucks for playing 3d games and flight sims.

I find it amazing that with one book cover picture made in photoshop and a quote of the real VOSS story from those who were there... the result is the most fascinating informative scandal exposure thread I have seen.

This is from a close associate who was part of the Voss scam called 'TAS' .. and aye, Maverick .. he probably took the name of the squadron, but the scam was not done by the squad ...it was perpetrated by Voss.

> How much money did he get from who?

Before I answer your question, I'll put my cards face up on the table, just so you know where I'm coming from.
Back when Paul "Voss" Hinds began his Scam I had already been playing AW for several years. Voss was a member of an Air Warrior Squadron called the 13th TAS, a Squad that has since had links with other online flight sim's and is also currently running in Aces High.
I only mention that because TAS was the name of the new online game at the centre of the scam, and it is important to point out that they were in no way connected with it, as far as I know the other members of the Squad are all honourable men.

Also, I've never written any of this down before, so by way of disclaimer, I will say that I'm working entirely from memory, but this is in any case how I remember those events as they occurred.

I was one of the beta testers for TAS and although I was one of the lucky ones, the scam cost me money, and wasted a great deal of my time. Also, let's not forget that at the time this was the biggest, longest and most outrageous scam ever to hit the flight sim' community! Now you know where I'm coming from, I'll answer your question.

The person who lost the most was the main investor, Michael "Amok" Hobuss, who I believe was one of Voss's AW Squad mates. From my perspective as one of the beta testers, the deal appeared to be that Voss did all the programming and design while Amok covered the expenses and development
costs, including having a new powerful development machine delivered to Voss, setting up and maintaining the beta team, bulletin board, and all advertising and promotional costs.

Now before we go any farther, let's just look at that set-up. Voss had built credibility by claiming to have two doctorates, and vast relevant experience, he was not just exaggerating, he was deliberately giving false information to a squad mate, in order to
encourage him into parting with money and equipment for services he knew that he could not deliver.

He was never in the CIA, was never an F-16 pilot and he did not shoot down two enemy aircraft has he claimed, he did not own
a P-51, and has probably never even flown one, and he did not have two PhDs.
He fabricated that entire web of lies with the obvious motivation of securing investment for his own personal gain.

This scam lasted a long time, and was fed with screen shots that looked magnificent, but which were in fact only artwork, and the delays were blamed on all manner of incredible circumstances, a scorpion bite, brain tumour, even some mention of special missions with the CIA.

During that time a large number of people were involved on the beta site, and I was one of them. I've heard that some of the beta testers were also asked for front money, but I can't recall being asked, but I do remember that I didn't send money. So I can't confirm that.

The scam dragged on so long that someone eventually checked into his background, and his military service was the first thing to come under scrutiny.
When it transpired that he had not been an F-16 pilot in the
USAF, he invented the CIA story to explain why his name didn't appear in military records, but the wall was beginning to crumble.

As more of his lies were exposed, Michael Hobuss became suspicious, but no doubt found it very hard to believe that a squad mate would lie and steal from him, so at that point he was actually covering for him.

Then things began to move quickly, because his stories were stretching credibility to the limit. I know how long you need to remain in education to get a PhD, not to mention two! Computer skills that exceeded those of the best programmers of the day, USAF training, a flying career, converting to F-16s, recruitment by the CIA, a privately owned P-51, and this man appeared to have achieved more than most could manage in two life times.

Everyone was suspicious and people were asking awkward questions. Michael Hobuss was also getting nervous and began asking awkward questions too, and that's when Voss disappeared. The Scorpion bite! It was reported that Folk
even visited Voss in hospital, so perhaps that part was true, but it just went down hill from there.

Time dragged on, and after more revelations, and no further evidence that the game even existed, Voss was supposed to have a brain tumour resulting in the end of the game's development, but then Michael Hobuss blew the whistle!
He admitted he had been conned, and lost his hardware, the
expenses and development costs, and that there never was any game. Any beta testers who had fronted money to the project had lost it. I had spent a lot of time logging onto the beta test site and incurred telephone costs and wasted many hours of my own time, but I was one of the lucky ones!

How much did Michael Hobuss eventually lose, I can't say, but I'd guess the figure must have been at least several thousand, and to be fair I heard that he was able to recover some of it. I'm not even sure how much I lost, I certainly wasn't bothered about it because it would have only been a fraction of what I was spending on AW at that time

This was a classic con! He fooled an investor, into parting with money and goods, by pretending to be something he wasn't.
The scam involved a large number of people, and left the community shaken, not because they had been taken in by a conman, but because they had been taken by one of their own,
some one many believed to be a squad mate and a friend.
For many it wasn't so much the money as the betrayal, that hurt that most.

Now I guess that all this could be forgotten if Voss had gone away, but he is still here, and he is attempting to rebuild his stock in the community.
Only recently he put out a call to the Aces High community to become involved in another project, that appeared to have all the hallmarks of another scam.
I was amazed when I saw it, and I thought to myself, "Here we
go again". Make no mistake, given the opportunity I believe he would do it again, it even looks very much as though he has actually tried already.
But fortunately, nobody took the bait. They never took the bait thanks to the efforts of those who remember, nobody has been allowed to forget.
The community has successfully protected itself by not allowing others to be taken in. That in my humble opinion is the morally correct, right and proper, thing to do.

When I see folk rehash the Voss stuff (as you call it) I'm always pleased to see it, because everytime it comes out I think that perhaps another few individuals have been made wise to him.
It also saddens me to see others defend him, because they are only helping him build a platform from which to strike again.

I haven't been able to give you exact figures, but does that answer your question?

Badz

-brought to you by Frank P. 'Gray Eagle' Williamson

[Naso]

589 !!!

[Naso]

590 !

[Masherbrum]

Originally posted by Naso
590 !

Postpotato!

Karaya

[storch]

Originally posted by Red Tail 444
So next time some crackhead breaks into your home and turns your jewely into his smoke-up, no need in prosecuting him because he's broke anyway....

As for moral victory seekers,  AH is entirely about moral victories  Why do you think we're paying 15 a month?

Your example would be breaking and entering.  This is a criminal offense.  Inspite of that precious little already thinly stretched police resources would be invested in a property crime in a city the size of Miami.  simply there are bigger fish to fry.  Most property type criminals that are caught are habituals and in the plea bargain they fess up to priors.  

My example is one of a civil nature and they rarely produce prison sentences and if they do they are very light.  Remember who you liberals like to place on the benches throughout the nation.

But of course you would never agree to any above statements.  It is amusing to see your ghetto logic though.

[Trell]

Originally posted by Jackal1
OK, let`s use the VOSS scam for a start.
  If you have actualy read or know anything about this particular incident, then you must know that this wasn`t a half assed scam.
  There were a couple of gaming sites with very, very good reps doing interviews and promoting/advertising, etc this "supposedly in development" game.
  On top of that there were a couple of well respected and very well known people`s names and comments linked to this fiasco. Frank Williamson for one. I think that would have been enough for most folks who were allready involved in the flight sim world.

I disagree  Just becasue a couple of websites did reviews on his so called compony did not do a complete job on his or his company's history, does not remove responibility from you to do your own research before making an invesment, ( sending money for a game) ( I still have not seen any real prof that he made any money)
It still falls on your hands to make sure you know who you are dealing with. weather you sent money to a friend, family or a so called expert in the field.
 

If the money truly was sent I would hope that you would look into the product. company or man that was doing it.

[storch]

Originally posted by Trell
I disagree  Just becasue a couple of websites did reviews on his so called compony did not do a complete job on his or his company's history, does not remove responibility from you to do your own research before making an invesment, ( sending money for a game) ( I still have not seen any real prof that he made any money)
It still falls on your hands to make sure you know who you are dealing with. weather you sent money to a friend, family or a so called expert in the field.
 

If the money truly was sent I would hope that you would look into the product. company or man that was doing it.

Pretty close to correct in my view.  It's called due dilligence.

[Trell]

Originally posted by storch
Your example would be breaking and entering.  This is a criminal offense.  Inspite of that precious little already thinly stretched police resources would be invested in a property crime in a city the size of Miami.  simply there are bigger fish to fry.  Most property type criminals that are caught are habituals and in the plea bargain they fess up to priors.  

My example is one of a civil nature and they rarely produce prison sentences and if they do they are very light.  Remember who you liberals like to place on the benches throughout the nation.

But of course you would never agree to any above statements.  It is amusing to see your ghetto logic though.

Who cares about a prision sentance for a case like voss, If i was dumb enough to lose alot of money to him, I would take it to court or report it to the polce just for it to be put onto his record,  If it is not important enough to even file any sort of paper work,  then i consiter
that either he did nothin criminaly wrong, or as about as important as a child stealing a pack of gum

[Jackal1]

This thread should be put in book form itself . No need to write a book about it. With a few inserts here and there with the relevant issues and it would be a killer.
  There are a couple of things that have really been knee slappers for me through this and previous VOSS burnings.
  In this instance, how many times has it been asked either " What happened to the permanent ban of VOSS?' or "Why doesn`t HT ban him permantly?"?
  Geez, get real. Think a minute. How in the hell are you going to permantly ban someone who is determined to get back in the game?
  This is nearly as funny a couple of discussions in game previously and posts on the BBS dealing with the "I am not VOSS issue. I was amazed that so many people bought  the" I`m not VOSS" line based on a comment or comments that a few had heard him on vox and it wasn`t him. I could just nearly visualize him writing down names of these people on a "possible easy targets" list.
  Here`s a couple of things to throw around in the ole gear box.
 Do you really beleive that  he is currently using only one account and one ID in AH as of now?
  Do you think he is only currently involved with one squad in the game now?
  Do you believe this is the only area of multiplayer games, (flight sim), that this scam has been ran?
  If you come up with a yes answer for any of the above, please try to limit the usage of the thought process as you could be in danger of an overload explosion.  

[BUG_EAF322]

what's the limit on replys with a thread??

anyway the imagination of this paul hind is excellent

he should be the next president of the USA
hes better than bush no doubt

[CyranoAH]

Well it's not 598

[CyranoAH]

nor 599