Text Scam (?) - "tonights lotto draw"

Received this message this morning:

Sent: 3/15/05
From: +6392043905**
Hello! ths s ALBERT ROA,
I'm 1 of the officer 4
tonights lotto draw f u r
interestd 2 get the suertres,
last 2, easy 2 & 4digit #
call ds #092157333**

Sending e-mail to NTC (ospac@ntc.gov.ph ; txtscam Ad) and Lotto ...

Updates ...

Note: Some numbers and contact info are intentionally masked

12:15 pm. Tuesday

Called NTC.
A gentleman asked me if *I* was the one who received the txt message and if I still had it in my phone.

"Opo"

He asked me to write down the complete and exact text message including the time, date and sender of the message. He said I should include my complete name, phone number and address and affix my signater. He asked me to send that information to fax# 9217128.

"Sir, napadala ko na po iyang impormasyon na iyan via email sa ospac@ntc.gov.ph"

He said they will wait for the message to reach them. We exchanged names. I wrote down his name for reference.

Tue, 15 Mar 2005 15:37:05

Sent another e-mail to NTC.

To: ospac@ntc.gov.ph
Cc: "webmaster@pcso.gov.ph" [webmaster@pcso.gov.ph]
Date: Tue, 15 Mar 2005 15:37:05 +0800
Subject: Re: Text Scam - tonights lotto results

I spoke to Sonny Guayco of NTC hotline reporting what I suspect is a text scam.

He told me to provide my contact numbers and address.

Find my contact information below.

Please inform me about your investigation. Just contact me if there's anything I can help you with. Thanks.

Mabuhay!

Edwin
[snip](contact details)[/snip]

8:43 am, Wednesday

I received an email reply from Engr. Cuenca (chief, ospac-technical).

He wrote:

"kindly send us the complete text of the message with a request to block said number"

I replied:

Dear Engr Cuenca,

Thank you for your response.
> kindly send us the complete text of the message with a request to block said
> number

Find below the full text of the message.

I am requesting that the number +6392043905** (sender of message) be blocked.

I am also requesting that the number #092157333** (number in the text message) be investigated. It is possible that the owner of this number could be an accomplice or a victim.

Thank you,

Edwin S. Soriano

(quoted from previous e-mail)
> >> I'm providing you the full text of this message i received this morning:
> >>
> >> Sent: 3/15/05 10:06:37 AM
> >> From: +6392043905**
> >> Hello! ths s ALBERT ROA,
> >> I'm 1 of the officer 4
> >> tonights lotto draw f u r
> >> interestd 2 get the suertres,
> >> last 2, easy 2 & 4digit #
> >> call ds #092157333**

A few days after receiving the text

I called the number in the message (#092157333**) from a payphone. In my first two attempts, the cellphone rang but nobody answered. In the third attempt: "The subscriber cannot be reached." Hindi daw siya pwedeng maging mayaman.

I would have loved to talk to the person at the other end of the line.

11:54 am, Tuesday

From: webmaster
Date: Tue, 22 Mar 2005 09:24:20 +0800
Subject: RE: Text Scam - tonights lotto results

Dear Ma'am,

We strongly advice you to refrain from entertaining such text messages
as these are just hoaxes and scams put up by lawless elements who use our
agency's name to swindle cash, from unsuspecting individuals like yourself.

We thank you for bringing this matter to our attention and rest
assured that appropriate legal actions will be taken to put a cease to this
recurring incident.

Good day and God bless.

Webmaster

Thanks Webmaster. These are things I've figured out too.

More updates when I have any ....

Edwin

Read: Block Ko Mukha Mo! - Fight Against Cellphone-Related Crimes