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Written by Cynthia Fridsma
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Dear all,

Two weeks ago I received the following email that I almost believed, but it is a scam!

Don't fall for it!

The message is as follows:

-----------1st email ------------------------------------------------

NATIONAL CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM DESCRIMINATION AND SAFETY
1735 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Suite 600
Washington, DC 20006
Phone: +1 - 3146898909
Fax: +1 - 9165605975
www.ncards.org / Email: info@ncards.org

Dear Colleagues,

It is with great enthusiasm we are the members of NATIONAL CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM DISCRIMINATION AND SAFETY.(NCARDS) in United States invites organizations, youths and youth-focused organizations to take an active role in the forthcoming International conference taking place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The forthcoming conference with the topics Racism and Discrimination, Students Against Destructive Decision and Stop HIV/AIDS infection, Global Conference Against Violence and Terrorism, Political, social economic problems in Africa and Asia countries will take place on 13th to 17th Febuary,2006 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

We believe this is an incredible opportunity to network with like-minded individuals and organizations in the promotion and development of proactive youth involvement and healthy environment in our communities. I am one of the regional oganizers of the above coming events. We picked your e-mail address from the website forwarded to us by the Arabian and African Students Association in the U.S.A.

Our independents donors in United States of American will only finance all round flight tickets, feedings and your United Arab Emirates entry Permit Visa which will allow every interested Participant to enter into the city of Dubai. Participant are only required to make reservation at any of the organization approved hotel in United Arab Emirates for the conference in Dubai.

The organizing committees will process the United Arab entry visas for all participants requiring visa to enter into the country of United Arab Emirates.

The visas will be processed in the Dubai by the Bureau of citizenship and immigration services of United Arab Emirates, immigration Department. The Visa will be sent to you after all the vital documents includes clearances letter from your country law enforcement agency, the hotel reservation in U.A.E and other required documents by the NCARDS ORGANIZATION for the approval of your visa collection from the hotels in Dubai, which we will give the order to apply for all participant entry permit visa.

A copy of the entry permit visa will be send by the hotel in Dubai where the participant have chosssed to make his reservation. We are only giving rooms for existing and active organizations to participate in these events as chance are limited. We therefore ask interested organization to forward the below following neccessary requirements to us in order to start to process their visa arrangement by the hotel in Dubai.

(i) Aims and objectives of the Organization.
(ii) Organizations profile.
(iii) Achievements .

Send your response to the secretary organizing committee to apply for participating in these events. Only Five to seven members will be allowed to participate from each of the selected countries. Individuals who do not belong to any organization but are interested to participate should form a group of five people and forward their names and passport numbers to organizing committee through this Email address. info@ncards.org

This invitation is sponsoring by: NCARDS ORGANIZATION: please visit us @ www.ncards.org / Email us @ info@ncards.org for any further information regarding the registration.

Thanks
Your faithfully,
Prof Patrick Johnson
Regional Directors

-----------end of 1st email ------------------------------------------------

At first I was flattered, honesty and thought to myself: this might be a good story for the Online Magazine, right? After all: we're all against Racism, Discrimination and against terrorism right? Anyway, I am.

My reaction on was:

----------- my 1st email ------------------------------------------------

Heather Nova Online Magazine
Het Breed 927
1025 JG AMSTERDAM
The Netherlands

Phone: + 31 - 206344526
www.heathernova.us
Email : cynthia@heathernova.info

Hello,

I received a message from Prof. Patrick Johnson concerning the forthcoming conference with the topic Racism and Discrimination, Students Against Destructive Decision and Stop HIV/AIDS infection, Global Conference Against Violence and Terrorism, Political, social economic problems in Africa and Asia countries that will take place on 13 until 17 February, 2006 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

I would like to join the conference and I want to receive more information from your department.

I am the creative manager/webmaster and editor from the Heather Nova Online Magazine and our nonprofit organization is against all of the above. I have published a song against violence and terrorism on our site at URL: http://www.heathernova.co.uk/01c21194b30f6263c/01c211971d0a46805/01c211971d0a7d20d/index.html

I will arrange a hotel in Dubai if you would invite me for the forthcoming conference and than I will write an article about the conference too for the Online Magazine.

I am looking forward to your reply,

Best regards,
Cynthia Fridsma

-----------end of my 1st email ------------------------------------------------

It didn't take long to receive a message back from the 'scam gang':

-----------2nd email ------------------------------------------------
From: <info@ncards.org>
To: cynthia fridsma
Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2006 3:14 AM
Subject: Re: Special Invitation

Dear Participant,

We are sorry for late response regarding your mail,Due to the ever increasing email traffic and to ensure we respond in a comprehensive way,we ask for understanding as we get back to you and answer your queries in full. We also write to acknowledege your mail dated on the 25th January,2006, and also to see your organizational aims, profile and their wonderful work the they have been doing for the society.

Once more, Peace and love to you all . I’m the General Secretary of NCARDS Organization, The National Conference Against Racism and Safety. The aims, objectives, organizational profile and achievements have been epitomized in the website i.e. www.ncards.org and we really appreciate your organization for all their efforts they have made in by the lifting the image of the society.

The up-coming Ncards Conferences is never under advertisement. It is not open for every body to Participate, we can only accept participants under recommendation, But since your recommendation comes from one of our colleagues/Members (or) our affliated organization,We will give you or your organization the opportunity to participate in the forth coming NCARDS Conference.

The up-coming NCARDS Conference (Global Conference Against Violence and Terrorism,Racism and Discrimination, Students Against Destructive Decision and Stop HIV/AIDS infection, Political,social economic problems in Africa and Asia countries) is scheduled to take place at Dubai, United Arab Emirates at the Jumeirah conventional Hall,Section 24B, Sixth floor.

The Conference will commence on 13th to 17th Febuary,2006 with the first topic on Racism and Discrimination.The aims of the Ncards Conference is to teach the youths on the need to avoid Racism and Discrimanation,Teenage Drug abuse,Children Prostitution and Gangster life, which is increasing every day among the Youths all over the world.The Up-coming NCARDS Conferences were being organized and sponsored by the Global Relief & Reconstruction Agency in United States and the conference is dedicated to all our beloved brothers and sisters who lost their precious lives on drug and sexual assault all over the world.

To participate in the up-coming Ncards conference regardless of your religious, Nationality and belief. Only Five to Seven people are expected to participate together as a group from your home country and none of them will be less than eighteen years,they must attend for the five days which the conference will be hold in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

They should be in position of their international passports to the hotel where their reservation will be done in order to get their U.A.E entry permit visa which will allow the participant to enter into the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates for the conference.

Shortlisted Participants, should forward the below listed requirements to the organizer immidiately in order to open a participant files,as all participants required visa will be forwarded to the U.A.E Bureau of citizenship and immigration services.

Any group/individaul required United Arab Emirates entry permit visa to enter into the city are requested to write to us immediately and forward the below requirement needed for applying the U.A.E entry permit visa to Dubai and also indicates if your group will like to make any contribution on the above mention topics during the conference.


I would like to present a Point during the conference ( )
I shall require an entry visa (enclosed passport photocopy)

Please return this below requirements to us immediately in order to direct you the organization approved hotel in Dubai for your United Arab Emirates entry permit visa and your reservation.

Any participant who did not forwarded the requirement on time, will automatically miss the visa assistance. Only 5 or 7 members will be accepted to participate as a group from the selected countries. You should reach us with the following information about your group.

(1) Names of Participant
(2) International Passport details
(3) country of orgin/ Country code.

Our independent Donors and the Sponsors will only take care of your,(i) Round Trip flight tickets (ii) Feeding. Participants are only responsible for their hotel reservation in Dubai, United Arab Emirates,where the conference is scheduled to take place.




Your U.A.E (Dubai) hotel reservation confirmation will only prove to us that you must leave the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates after the conference. This is because the U.A.E Bureau of citizenship and immigration services warns our Organization to make sure that all our participant leaves the country after the conference,in order not to barns/avoid the company/hotel that help to get U.A.E visa from obtaining visa to any person that is entering into the city of Dubai,United Arab Emirates.

Finally,we will give you more directives as soon as your names reach to us. Please note that we are not the U.A.E authority authorizing your visas, As the United Arab Emirates immigration service, Visa Section have guaranttee us of issueing all our participant entry permit visa which will enable the participant to enter into the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates for the NCARDS Conference.

We are working with data directives from the U.A.E Bureau of Citizenship and immigration services,the body that is in charge of authorization of visas. We cannot add or reduce any given requirements for the authorization of participants visa. All requirements must be met by participants requiring the U.A.E entry permit visa assistance.

For any further Enquiry, contact us @ www.ncards.org

Thanks
Yours Faithfully,
Mrs.Betty Andrew
General Secretary
Ncards Organization.

N/B: Please in order to meet up for the date of the conference in United Arab Emirates, we urge the interested members to forward the above mentioned requirement in order to direct you on you can get the United Arab Emirates entry permit visa, and also the hotel in United Arab where you will make your reservation.

----------- end of 2nd email ------------------------------------------------

After reading this I had second thoughts about the 'conference' but at the end I decided to go along with it and send an email back to the 'scam gang'.

----------- My 2nd email ------------------------------------------------
Heather Nova Online Magazine
Het Breed 927
1025 JG AMSTERDAM

Phone : +31206344526

http://www.heathernova.us

Amsterdam, January 31, 2006

Dear Mrs. Betty Andrew,

First I would like to apologize for my late response. I was away for a few days because a close relative of mine past away last week. Anyway, in your email you’re asking for the names of the participant, international Passport details and country of origin. Enclosed you’ll find a copy of my passport as a JPG picture.

I understand about the previous email that I have to give my statement about the upcoming conference. My statement is:

“We’re against discrimination, specially against sexual discrimination because we believe that men and women are equal and none is superior above the other. Equal human rights. We believe that the best way to help people is to offer good information about the ‘forbidden’ areas like homosexuality and trans-sexuality. People who are ‘different’ are frequently the victims of brutal violence. The innocent becomes a victim of his/her own culture because it is a taboo. Even in our Western society. The best way to deal with this is to offer solid information and let ‘normal’ people realize that the so-called difference is only in their mind, not in reality. Because we’re all human. It’s the same with aids. If it wouldn’t be a ‘taboo’ than providing information on how to prevent Aids would be easier. We’re against terrorism too and it has to be banned out of the world. There’s no reason to kill someone else just because he/she has a different point of view. You don’t have to agree with someone but it’s not a reason to kill for. Terrorism is in fact a bit like discrimination. It’s the other end of the road. What starts with discrimination ends with terrorism and best way to prevent that is to open your mind for discussions without hatred. Provide information in a two-way direction. Than we can discuss and solve it without killing each other. ”

That’s the statement of our nonprofit magazine.

Take care and all the best,

Cynthia Fridsma,
creative manager & founder of the
Heather Nova Online Magazine

----------- End of my 2nd email ------------------------------------------------

Within an hour I received the following email from the 'scam organization' and this email is really weird.
-----------3th email ------------------------------------------------
From: "info" <info@ncards.org>
To: "cynthia fridsma" <cynthia@heathernova.info>
Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2006 8:32 AM

Subject: FILE NUMBER


Dear Participant,

Thanks very much for your information which you have provide for the opening of your file number which we have submitted to our Organizing committee for proper arrangement of your group flight ticket.

Please, kindly find the attached copy of your group file number for your group for the conference in United Arab Emirates, and also you are to make your reservation at the hotels in United Arab Emirates.

This will help our independent donor to arrangement and send your flight ticket confirmation slip. As our independent donor will only be in position to take care of your feedings round trip flight ticket throughout the whole conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

we have forward the attached copies of your international passport for the them to apply for your group entry permit visa to United Arab Emirates. But you are to urgently contact the hotels in order to know where you can make your reservation and to inform them to apply for your entry permit visa. If your group did not contact the hotels to know the hotel for your reservation, your entry permit visa will not be apply since you did not ask any of the hotel to apply for your visa.

As soon as we received your group hotel reservation booking confirmation receipt from the hotel in United Arab Emirates,we will automatically send your flight ticket within 24hrs service.

We look forward to see you in our up coming conferences in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Thanks
Yours faithfully,
Mrs.Betty Andrew(Esq.)
Ncards Organization.
General Secretary.

N/B: Please urgently contact the hotel for your reservation and to instruct them to apply for your entry permit visa to United Arab Emirates.
-----------End of 3th email ------------------------------------------------

The weird thing about this 'conference' is that you are not allowed to book a hotel yourself, it has to be the hotel they have selected for you and you cannot leave the hotel either. Weird huh? Look at the document they send with the email, than you will know what I mean.

----------- copy from the ms word document -------------------------
Attn: Participant,

We write to acknowledge receipt of your passports information as requested in the process of your registration. We have today opened up a file for your group. File numbers are as follows:

CLCYE/US00999/ICC WE07/20MS.
Below are the information’s been send to the Organizing Committee for the approval of your participation which will help your organization/group in your country to obtain United Arab Emirates entry permit visa for the conference at Dubai. You are to contact the organization approved hotels in Dubai for your entry permit visa to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

File No: CLCYE/US00999/ICC WE07/20MS

For proper identification of your group file numbers, all correspondence should bear the file numbers. The Dubai conference will start on 13th - 17th February, 2006. The conditions sent to you in our previous mail covers for both individual and group participants, review it for the group.

It is mandatory that all participants in the forth coming conference in Dubai have to make their hotel reservation with the organizational approved hotel in the city of Dubai, any prospective participant without reservation in this hotel will not be allowed into the venue as this will help the security officials to monitor the movement of people in and out of the venue during the conference. As American/British and citizens of other countries

Will be present in the conference, it is necessary to adopt a security measures that will help to prevent terrorist activities as in the world today.

All participants are expected to attend the conference from their hotel rooms, staying outside the hotel will not be allowed. The organization has recommended the hotel below. Please contact the management for your reservation and your entry permit visa to United Arab Emirates as it is a "condition" for participant’s registration for the conference. You are expected to reserve your hotel room for five (5) days that the conference will last in Dubai.

HOTEL LE NOVETEL
P.O BOX: 1006, ABU-DHABI, U. A. E.
Email: uae.hotellenovetel@gmail.com or info@hotellenovetel.com
Website: www.hotellenovetel.com

On completing your reservation, you should send your reservation confirmation receipt to this office for registration purposes. Ask the hotel management to issue you with a (RESERVATION CONFIRMATION RECEIPT) this is needed to release your flight ticket from the Ncards organizing committee. And also try to inform us after you have received your entry permit visa from any of the organization approved hotel. As this will help us to keep proper records of the number of visa we received from any of the hotels in United Arab Emirates.

We look forward to seeing your group at the conference.

Thanks

Yours Sincerely,

Mrs. Betty Andrew
(Gen. Secretary)

N/B: The above mentioned hotels are the organization approved hotels in United Arab Emirates where our entire participant are to make their reservation. Our donors will only be in responsible for your entry permit visa to United

As soon as you are contacting the hotel for your reservation, you are also to send your scan international passport for them to get entry permit visa to United Arab Emirates. You are not to get you get your United permit Visa to any travel agency in your country as our donors will be in position to pay for your entry permit visa through the hotel where your reservation are made.


----------- end of copy -------------------------

You see what I mean? They do not allow me to get my United permit Visa via any travel agency, and I can only go to Hotel Le Novetel. Nevertheless, where's the address of the hotel. It's only a P. o. box.

I didn't trust it and decided to send an email to the 'hotel'. I wrote:

-----------my 4th email ------------------------------------------------
Heather Nova Online Magazine
Het Breed 927
1025 JG AMSTERDAM
The Netherlands

Phone : +31 20 634 45 26

http://www.heathernova.us


Dear sir/madam,

My name is Cynthia Fridsma and I am from the Heather Nova Online Magazine.

In the last weeks of Januari I received an message from the Ncards Organization regarding the upcoming National Conference Against Racism Discrimination And Safety (NCARDS).

I wonder if you're familiar with this conference, or is it a hoax?

I am looking forward to your reply.

Best regards,
Cynthia Fridsma
-----------end of my 4th email ------------------------------------------------

I received the following email back, from the hotel:


-----------email from the 'hotel' ------------------------------------------------
From: info
To: Cynthia Fridsma
Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2006 9:42 AM

Subject: CONTACT US FOR YOUR RESERVATION


Assalamu Alaikum Wr. Wb.

Dear Guest Cynthia Fridsma,

Thank for contacting Hotel le Novetel Abu-Dhabi, U.A.E to be your home for your reservation, in repect for your request, Our hotel is one of the hotel NCARDS organization in America are using for their conference on 13th - 17th febuary,2006.

We will like you to understand that due to the number of participants taking part in the conference, few rooms are avaliable now, to be sure of your individaul/group reservation,we ask all our clients to make payment for the room before we can reserve any room.

please contact the reservation Manager Mr. Kenneth Christopher through email address: reservation@hotellenovetel.com (or) uae.hotellenovetel@gmail.com for your reservation rate and system of payment for conferences.

Please, you are also send your international passport copy in order to apply for your U.A.E entry permit visa. if your country required U.A.E entry permit visa to enter into U.A.E

Ensure to find out if your country are visa free to U.A.E as the entry visa will be stamp on your arrival.

Sincerely,

Ahmed O. Mohammed,

Manager Hotel le Novetel.
-----------end of email from the 'hotel' ------------------------------------------------

I have looked at the headers of the email and the IP addresses of 'the organization' and the 'hotel' are the same.

I also did a research on the internet to see if I can find more information of this hotel, but couldn't find any. Another weird thing: why don't they have an address listed on their site where the hotel is?

I decided to check the domain name too, from the 'organization' and their home address is in the city Deira Dubai!
Can you explain to me why an American organization would have their administration in Deira Dubai?

Click here to see the 'whois' results

Click here to see the headers of the email

p.s. the name servers of both domains, from the 'hotel' and 'the organization' is
NS1.NIMBLE-HOST.COM

I will also post this article to 'the organization' and I will publish their response too (if I get any).