It could be a coincidence that America Online shut down Sonia Griffin's account after she complained about the company to Eight On Your Side.

It could be a coincidence that she was denied access to her account after we reported her story, and she e-mailed the Internet link to others in the same position.

But Griffin believes AOL had another reason for denying her access to her account.

``They don't want the story out,`` Griffin said.

You may remember Griffin's story: She thought she won $10,000 in the AOL/Coca Cola ``Pop the Top'' online game.

But AOL reported a computer glitch invalidated her entry, and several dozen others, from around the country.

Griffin met those other entrants online via an e-mail listserv. After Eight on Your Side broadcast Griffin's story, she e-mailed the version that is posted on Tampa Bay Online (TBO.com) to those folks.

Twenty-seven minutes after Griffin hit the ``send'' button, she received an e-mail stating AOL ``secured'' her account.

``I sent that multimedia report out two, three days before. No problem. All of the sudden, I get wind of a group of people who have the same type of complaint, I send it out, and I get booted off,'' Griffin said.

AOL won't comment about member accounts.

But company spokesman Andrew Weinstein said AOL ``would never take action against a member sending a newslink about anything to another member. Any action would be due to another reason.''

Weinstein explained a user's account can be ``temporarily secured'' if a member is misusing the account, such as sending out spam - unsolicited bulk e-mail.

But remember: Griffin sent the e-mail to a group of individuals who want to exchange information about the botched online game.

Some other factors worth mentioning in the AOL shutdown of her account: Griffin recalled that the AOL security person she spoke to right after she got the boot told her ``the advertising'' on the link was the problem.

According to TBO.com, real estate agents, schools/universities, builders, employment agencies, funeral homes, restaurants, credit card companies and even a tattoo parlor advertise on the site.

We're not clear which, if any, of those businesses are offensive.

Griffin said she regularly e-mails links to News Channel 8's Crimetracker feature and has never had a problem.

Let's take a look at the timing: Twenty-seven minutes after she hit the send button. That's a quick response, one that Internet security expert John Lorelle believes is unusual.

``Typically what will happen is someone will complain about an e-mail to a receiving ISP. The ISP [Internet service provider] will review it, discuss their course of action, then typically the following day they will shut down your account,'' Lorelle said. ``It rarely happens within a two-hour time period.''

Weinstein insisted ``AOL never monitors its members' e-mail.''

AOL reinstated Griffin's access and gave her a month of free service. But that didn't ease her concerns. ``I was being bullied,'' she said.

She is now with another ISP.

Her story caught the attention of the Florida Attorney General's office, which in August began investigating the game.

Eight On Your Side is a free service of WFLA News Channel 8. Call the help line between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. weekdays at 1-800-338-0808.