It’s been awhile since I got a decent scam email from a UN or NGO pretender. These burn me because they play upon people’s good hearted nature, wanting to do something about racism or the environment or child labor. Today I got one ostensibly from the "YCIO," a group who’s acronym was never spelled out in the email. "Yemen Centre for Independent Obstetricians" perhaps.
Anyway, I am the lucky invitee to an "international conference on child labour, abuse and
neglect" taking place in Andalusia, Alabama and Amsterdam, Netherland! Woo hoo! It’s my lucky day! And I really am upset about child labour, abuse and neglect.
Unfortunately, real organizations and networks get these scam emails and don’t have the time or wherewithall to investigate whether they are legit or not. So they just forward them on to their members, creating further confusion and fake legitimacy for this scam. A quick google search reveals that several UN and NGO networks have forwarded this crap to their members.
But here are the subtle tip offs that this not legit:
- No detailed contact information for the organization
- No website
- A yahoo or hotmail address as the main contact point
- No real reason why you in particular should be receiving this email
- The zip code 36241 is not in Alabama, much less Andalusia, Alabama
- There is no "Linden
Wall Street" in Amsterdam, Netherlands
But this is all you really need to read: "Provisions have been made for all delegates to this
event, all round tickets, feeding and accommodation in
USA by our sponsors." Sounds too good to be true? Because it is.
I presume the scam has to do with some sort of "processing fee" or "visa fee."
Here’s the full email:
Subject: INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CHILD LABOUR, ABUSE AND NEGLECT
Greetings
We at YCIO sends our warn greetings to our entire
members worldwide. And with great enthusiasm, we wish
to invite groups, youths and youth focused
organization to be part of our forthcoming combined
international conference on child labour, abuse and
neglect taking place in the United States and the
Netherlands.
The combined conferences are of two segments.Firstly, one shall commence in Andalusia, Alabama USA
on the 28th November till the 1st of December 2006.
The venue is blue lake auditorium, 8569 Oakwood lane,
Andalusia, Alabama 36241, USA.The second segment shall take place in Amsterdam as
from 4th till 7th December 2006 at Europa plaza,
Linden
Wall Street 44 2051 LH, Amsterdam Netherlands.YCIO aspires amongst other things:
- To discuss the root causes of child labour, abuse
and neglect in order to help in eradicating these
social ills.- To re-educate and enlighten the youths and adults
about these social vices and also promote community
organizing as a tool to re-connect people to each
other with a common goal of building safe, supportive
and good communities.- To create spaces for the youths of the world to
acquire the power of collective action, critical
dialogue and community organizing to undermine child
labour, abuse and neglect.- To equip the youth and adult participants with
vital tools and know-how. This will aid them in
conducting such workshops amongst youths in their
various countries.We have noticed that this is an incredible means of
interacting with different organizations of the world
on a particular issue as it affects youths and adults.
Moreover, funding may be provided for individuals from
qualifying organizations.Provisions have been made for all delegates to this
event, all round tickets, feeding and accommodation in
USA by our sponsors. All delegates will take care of
their feeding and accommodation in Netherlands, as our
resources do not cover that.Mode of application:
Interested organizations should forward the following
information about their organization.
- Aims and objectives of their organization.
- Organization profile.
- Achievements so far.
Only groups with delegates between the numbers of five
and ten selected members would be allowed to
participate from each of the selected countries.
Individuals who do not belong to any of the
organizations but are interested to participate should
form a group of at least five.
Direct your response to the secretary organizing
committee through the below contact : mrsjulietanderson@yahoo.com : Send applications now.Yours faithfully
Mrs Rossy joans
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am Mr. Kamal Dahal all thw way from Nepal. I am a Bhutanese Rfeugees evicted from Bhutan in 1090 and presently seeking asylum in Nepal in Khudunabari, Bhutanese Refugee Camp , Jhapa , Nepal.
I am interested to attend International Conference on Child Labour.Therefore, I would like to request you to provide me the information on this case.
I am looking forward to hear from you as soon as possible.
Thank you
Sincerely yours
Kamal Dahal
Bhutanese Refugees
Khudunabari Camp
Sector-A/1, hut No-08
Sir, you really need to read the post before you respond to it. This is a SCAM. A FRAUD. A CRIMINAL INTENT TO DEFRAUD AND CON.
This scam format is used by scammers in several West African countries, including Nigeria, Benin and Senegal.
The way they cheat people out of money is by telling them to contact one of several hotels (which all conveniently use anonymously created free webmail addresses, such as at Yahoo.com or Canada.com) at the second of two conference locations.
The organizer tells the victims they can’t get a US visa without a hotel reservation at the next location. The “hotel” then demands a cash downpayment via untraceable wire transfer services such as Western Union. Any money sent is lost to the criminals, who remain nameless and untraceable.
So far we’ve seen examples of at least 17 fake conferences that follow this pattern.
Dear Al the Concrned,
I am one of nearly 105,000 Bhutanese refugees currently living in seven camps in eastern Nepal. After leaving Bhutan I never thought I would ever get a chance to study again. Luckily, when I arrived in the refugee camp, I was able to join school and became a student again. With great difficulties my mother could manage . I had high hopes to become a great person. The aims of my life have been scattered. Just because of being a refugee, opportunities never knock at our door. When we go around looking for opportunity, many doors remain closed.
Life in the camp is very difficult particularly for women. Life is so uncertain that we have to live each day as it comes. Day by day the problem is getting more complex. Fifteen years have passed now since the problem began. The governments of Bhutan and Nepal could not find an agreed solution through the bilateral talks. Categorisation of Bhutanese refugee by the JVT is baseless and is not going to solve the problem. It is unfair and is just an eyewash, pretending to address the issue. It appears that they have been trying to ignore the problem and dismiss the efforts of those who are struggling to resolve the problem. The Bhutan government even claims that some of the refugees never lived in Bhutan and are just in the camps to get free rations from UNHCR. Many people in the camps are dying with many dificulties.Children in the camps are like the fish without water.
I Would like to request all the International agencies to resolve the Bhutanese Refugees case as son as posile.
Yes, I also did receive. I was suspicious (I couldn’t make out what icio was)and asked for more details about the organisers and also how they hit upon my name. No reply so far.
CM Nautiyal
I withdraw my previous ststement in view of a subsequent reply from the organisers. I don;t think it’d happen if the confrenece wa a fake. While the reply doesn’t answer my query completely (I cna’t insist on all the details) but the very reason they have responsed shows genuineness.
Dr. CM Nautiyal
I just got it — yet another attempt after many others, too good to be true.
Subject: [health-vn] London, 1-10 October, CALL TO PARTICIPATE (fwd): AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE ERADICATION OF MALARIA
> Call for Participation/Application to AN INTERNATIONAL
> CONFERENCE ON THE ERADICATION OF MALARIA on 1st
> October till the 10th of October 2007 in London United
> Kingdom by the MALARIA RESEARCH CENTER (MRC), where as
> From: abba_queenss@london.com
> Here is the payment information,as soon as you make the payment,Please forward to us a payment confirmation receipt.
>
> Nationwide Bank
> Account Name: Andrew Moore
> Sort Code: 07 0030
> Account No: 74533098
> IBAN: gb85naia07003074533098 S
> Swift Code: midlgb22
> Bank address: 20 Kings Parade,
> St Stanford le Hope, Essex ss17 0ta1