The Final Nail in the Coffin: DTAC and FSA scam

The final events all came together.

I wrote to the apparent awarding company (DTAC) with copy to the Financial Services Authority that I was making the money ready.  

I then consulted with two or three friends on what to do.  This was in contravention with the given instructions that insisted on secrecy.....their opinion was similar to mine, it may be a scam but if its not the prize money will more than make up for the expense! 

The next step was two pronged. I started calling around to raise the money and one friend came back positively.  I then inquired around as to how I could transmit the money...apparently local laws would forbid the transfer unless I could prove a genuine need for such purpose to the bank.  I then wrote to the Financial Services Authority mentioning that I had taken advice and that I needed an invoice. 

My thinking was that an invoice would give some sort of guarantee and leave a paper trail  and also make it easier to make the bank transfer.  I told the FSA that I was collecting the money and that the invoice had to be for goods and services that I was being provided.  In passing I also mentioned that local laws allowed only this purpose and the only other option was for the funding for study of a relative.  

The DTAC which had been copied  wrote to me reminding me of the need for secrecy and the FSA actually sent me an invoice.  What was conspicuous was that the invoice did not have an organizational heading and the transfer had to be made by western union or not at all .  It was also for the credit of an individual.  To top the story the invoice purported to be for the provision of teaching services....

I was now 99% sure it was scam, but greed for the huge prize money was also there.....I wrote to the FSA that the money would be ready in two days.  

Imagine my surprise when I get call from a +61 number a little later and an Asian sounding voice talked to me and asked when I would transfer the money.  

BTW up to now my searches online never once indicated the presence of a scam under the DTAC name.  

When I searched under the number that I had been called from I found one, just one item that helped me... well that link showed me that this was a long running scam.  Lucky me!  So many had shared their story about being duped and actually having paid...

More soon!

A Tool if a potential scam is seen...

Click Here!

Check up on too good to be true calls from strangers...

Click Here!

Contd.....Was it a Scam? The complex....

The next step.... see below for the previous events:

 

Financial Services Authority (FSA)

OFFICE OF THE HEAD OPERATIONS AND SERVICES

#54 BB Building, Unit 3924, 9th Floor, Sukhumvit 

21 Asoke Klong Toey, Wattana,Bangkok, 10110, Thailand

Tell: +66 - 860777832  OR +66 - 803029762

E-mail: fsa@fundreleaseorder.org

                                                                           

Dear Mark Rajendran Navamani,

We are in receipt of your e-mail in which you have indicated your interest in our legal services. The Fund Release Order is a document required by most Financial Institutions here in Thailand for the Legalization of Claims, we wish to inform you that the Fund Release Order Certificate is a Mandatory document which must be submitted to the Standard Chartered Bank before any transaction can be made to you. It will legalizes your award and gives the Standard Chartered Bank the constitutional right to release the Award sum to you without any complication from the Thailand Government.

 

We have also carried out some investigations on your Award as a Letter of Reference sent to us from the Dtac company Ltd here in Thailand we are hereby to inform you that your winning prize is totally Legitimate and currently deposited with the Standard Chartered Bank of Thailand, your winning prize will be officially transferred to your account  as soon as you submit the Fund Release Order certificate to the Standard Chartered Bank Plc Thailand.

According to the Government rules and regulation and approval to obtain this legal document, you are required to complete the payment of the following processing charges to us before we can issue out the document to you, this fund release order certificate will Guarantee you out of money laundering activities according to the  international money transfer law it also legalize your award and empower the Standard Chartered Bank Plc to transfer the winning prize to your account without any complication from the Thailand Government.

 

Certification Charge:                  27,796.50 Thailand Baht

Endorsement Fee:                    13,400.80 Thailand Baht

Attestation Fee:                         5,747.90 Thailand Baht

According to the approval instruction to obtain this certificate, If you come to our office here in Thailand to obtain this document, you will be responsible for the Certification Charge of (27,796.50 THB) Thailand Baht only which is equivalent to (121,064.35 LKR) Sri Lankan Rupee that is the official payment of the approval Document. If you wish to apply online due to you are unable to travel to Thailand, you will be responsible for the total charges of (46,945.20 THB) Thailand Baht which is equivalent to (200,891.00 LKR) Sri Lankan Rupee being payment for the Certification charges, Endorsement charges and Attestation Charges.

 

All payments can be made to us through any of the following means;

 

- Money Gram Transfer.

- Western Union Money Transfer.

- Bank Wire/Telegraphic Transfer

- Hundi Money Transfer

As soon as we confirm your selected option of payment and your FRO application form, we shall provide you with the full payment details and directives regarding how to make the payment to us.

Attached to this e-mail is a scanned copy of the FRO Application form. You are required to complete section (I) only, scan the form and return it to us . You will receive the fund release order certificate within 3 working hours from our receipt of your payment and completed Application Form.

Yours in Service,

Mr. Photchaman Ymcharoen

E-mail: fsa@fundreleaseorder.org

Tell: +66 - 860777832  OR +66 - 803029762

( FSA Chairman & Head Of Operations Bangkok Thailand)

 

So what did I do?  Like a good boy I started thinking how I can find the money....and like a cunning boy, I wrote asking if the fees cannot be deducted from the prize money.....

The reply?

Well... here it is:

TOTAL ACCESS COMMUNICATION PUBLIC COMPANY LIMITED (DTAC) 

No. 319 Chamchuri Square Building, 22 - 41 Fl., Phayathai Road , Pathumwan, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330 Thailand

Dear Mark Rajendran Navamani,

We acknowledge your email regarding the Fund Release Order processing charges, we have officially contacted the Financial Services Authority regarding the above process, it was approved that the issuance certificate will not be issued to you without the clearance of the financial services authority Thailand, please kindly note that the fund release order certificate will empower the standard chartered bank to transferred the winning prize to your destination account without any complication from the Thailand government.

FRO certificate is the only remaining document that will empower the international remittance of your winning prize, please this is the legal procedures of the claim to avoid any complication which may lead to interrogation from the international monitory fund (IMF) Money Laundering activities. Please kindly note that oath of 1961 which was amended in 2001 Thailand law constitution, we are not allowed to deduct any fund from the beneficiary account under the standard chartered Bank Plc Thailand, any individual or company who did so will be called to law and charge to court according to the Thailand constitution.

Based on the instruction of the financial services authority, your winning prize will be automatically transferred to your personal account within seven working hours after the confirmation of the FRO certificate it will empower the Standard Chartered Bank to transfer the fund to your account without any complication from the international monitory fund (IMF) Unit Bangkok Thailand.

Please kindly note that this is the official charges of the legal winner, before the certificate can be issued to you we advise you to contact the Financial Services Authority and choose your option regarding how to make the payment to them. We are not permitted to deduct any fund from your winning prize until all the formalities of the claims is totally complete please we advise you to arrange for the fund and transfer to them immediately to enable them issued the authorization certificate to you without any complication from the Thailand Government regarding your winning prize

Do not hesitate to get in touch with me if you have any difficulties understanding the process as I will always be here to guide you regarding the process. 

Kind Regards,

Mr. Jon Eddy Abdullah

Tel: +66-843834036

E-mail: dtac@dtactelecom.com

(Chief Executive Officer Dtac Telecom Company Limited Thailand).

The end result? Still the story goes on.....more next week.  But for those who want to know how it ended, IT WAS A SCAM

Continued from April 9th......Is this a Scam?

From the previous post.....

My Reaction: Researched Online, all profiles, company and individual match....

Action: Tell me, what would you do?

Well...... I did write to them and this is the reply I got, together with a award winning certificate attached: all replies within three days! Hmm is that possible? 

TOTAL ACCESS COMMUNICATION PUBLIC COMPANY LIMITED (DTAC)

No. 319 Chamchuri Square Building, 22 - 41 Fl., Phayathai Road , Pathumwan, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330 Thailand

Dear Mark Rajendran Navamani,

We acknowledge your email regarding the (3) Items of the fund transfer requirement, according to the approval of the Total Access Communication Public Company Limited Thailand, The award winning department of the Dtac company limited has completed the processing of your Award winning certificate today, the scan copy of your award winning certificate has been issued to you for proper acknowledgement of your claim and to fulfill the second requirement of the standard chartered Bank Thailand.

We advise you to send a scan copy of your award winning Certificate and your Identity proof to the Standard Chartered Bank to fulfill the 1st and 2nd requirements of the standard chartered bank of Thailand for the approval transfer of your winning prize, Please note that there are no absolute rules for the award winning certificate, this award winning certificate entitled you over the rightful ownership and the beneficiary of the ($3,000,000.00) three million united state dollars.

The 3rd requirement which is the (FRO) Fund Release Order Certificate, this certificate will be obtained from any of the regional offices of the Financial Service Authority here in Thailand, (First option) if you are able to travel to Thailand in person to obtain this document through the financial services authority please we are happy to update you with the full contact address which is located at # 54 BB Building, Unit 3924, 9th Floor, Sukhumvit 21 (Asoke) Klong Toey, Wattana, Bangkok, 10110, Thailand Consultant office.

Please to indicate the (Second option) if you are unable to travel to Thailand in person to obtained this document in their office considering the time and costs associated with visa processing and air ticket, please we shall advise you to contact the Consultant office online through the Financial Services Authority here in Thailand, please we advise you to contact the financial services authorities through the below contact details immediately they authorities will officially provide you the necessary procedures to obtain this document.

CONTACT FINANCIAL SERVICES AUTHORITY BANGKOK REGIONAL OFFICE THAILAND

Financial Services Authority (Regional Office),54 BB Building, Unit 3924, 9th Floor, Sukhumvit 21 (Asoke)
Klong Toey, Wattana, Bangkok, 10110, Thailand Consultant
E-mail Address: fsa@fundreleaseorder.org

We advise you to contact the Financial Services Authority immediately via email: (fsa@fundreleaseorder.org ) with your complete contact details for immediate communication regarding the processing of the legal document, please kindly inform them that this is a matter of urgency to avoid extra charges which may be associated with late claim of winning.

Please you are required to follow all the instruction of the Financial Services Authority regional office Thailand, kindly note that as soon as the remaining document has been submitted to the Standard Chartered Bank Pcl Thailand, your winning prize will be automatically transferred to your account within (7) working hours without any delay from the Standard Chartered Bank Pcl Thailand.

Note: Do not hesitate to get in touch with me if you have any difficulties regarding the process, thank you for your understanding.

Kind Regards,
Mr. Jon Eddy Abdullah
Tel: +66-843834036

E-mail: dtac@dtactelecom.com
(Chief Executive Officer Dtac Telecom Company Limited Thailand).

What will happen now? Your guess is as good as mine