Lottery fraudsters to pay Yahoo $610 million

15-12-2011

Internet firm Yahoo receives a $610 million compensation from swindlers who ran a fake lottery. They sent e-mails to customers about prizes they had won in the lottery. The group of fraudsters from Thailand and Nigeria tried to obtain passwords, alongside personal data. They sent approximately 11.7 million emails between 2006 and 2009.

Fake lottery

"Internet users received e-mails about lottery prizes they supposedly had won. The swindlers tried to make people believe that Yahoo was the company behind the lottery," read a statement from the internet pioneer.

Leading and trustworthy

Yahoo declared that they filed the lawsuit in order to protect its reputation. "We strive to protect our status as a leading and trustworthy internet company," according to Yahoo Inc's legal director of global protection.

Penalty worth $610 million

The e-mails also requested 'lucky' customers to send money for fake transaction or costs of sending fake prizes. Yahoo announced that the $610 million penalty features $27 million for violating the trademark. In addition, the award includes $583 million for infringing the US CAN-SPAM Act.