Nope. I was going to ask you the same question.
No direct contact from Haris or the website.

Haris Lodhi - Sep 24, 2014:

Final Stage Results are up for all bots. Robo Chat Challenge 2014 is finished with Skynet AI declared as winner of the competition. For more updates please visit: http://robochatchallenge.com/

Final Stage transcripts will be posted in a day or so.

Still no prizes awarded for the Robo Chat Challenge.

Same here. No money, no email, no nothing…

I’m going to assume that it’s the same for Robert.

Poor show guys

If memory serves, it was pretty much the same, last time. Took AGES for the winners to be notified and awarded their prizes.

Just had an email now. They want a copy of my passport before paying the prize money. No chance!

Good call. I could do some pretty costly business in your name with a rogue copy of your passport. They may be clueless, but that doesn’t make it any less hazardous. I can’t imagine that this would be necessary.

There are other, less risky means of proving your identity, if this is why they require your passport. A would also refuse that request.

I recommend sending them the following:  Passport

Or maybe just follow the lead of the US government, and send them a full copy of your passport, but with sensitive information redacted.

Of course, it would be both funny and “within their rights” to send you a check ffor the prize money with the check amount redacted.

But why do they need to prove my identity? I just don’t see it. I have asked why they need this and if there is really no other way, I will send them a low res scan but with everything blanked out apart from my name and my photo.

I do like Carl’s suggestion though. They didn’t say they wanted to see inside it!

This reminds me of the joke about how someone got a letter from the local police that contained a ticket for running a red light, and a picture of their car, in the process of running the traffic signal in question. The punch line was that they sent the police a picture of the money for the fine.

Ask to see theirs first

I think it’s still possible to mimic someone’s email address (I haven’t tried that in ages), but that still wouldn’t give one access to someone’s inbox. The fact that you’re replying with email history proves that your emails are originating from the winner they mailed in the first place.

Dear Top 3 Participants of Robo Chat Challenge 2014,

Please send any government issued ID or a copy of your passport for personnel identity in order to receive the prize money amount. We would like to let you know that the organizers have implemented this policy for ensuring secure and safe online transactions.

Kind Regards,
Robo Chat Challenge Team

Sorry but I have no intention of sending you a scan of my passport or other identification. I can assure you I haven’t been hacked and if you want to send me some kind of code word, I can put it on my website to show I am genuine.

If you insist on me sending my passport details then I would like to see your credit card details first. Please post a scan on this thread and it will show me that you are genuine, as this unusual request wasn’t required last year.

One should point out that such procedure is not required by other contests like the Loebners.