[NHCOLL-L:1497] Dr Haq scam

[Andy Bentley]

Hi all

I have been asked by Sally Shelton to please compose a message outlining the
Dr. Haq scam for NHCOLL-L as only a couple of posts concerning this seem to
have filtered through.

A number of collections (maybe even you?) have been approached in the last
couple of months by  Dr. Mohammad Haq of the Life Science Museum in Jhansi,
India stating that their museum has recently ( December 1994) burned down
and requesting specimens to reconstitute their teaching and research
collections.  The letter that we received was faxed to us and mentioned
among other things the names of Governor Bob Holden of Missouri, Jerry
Conley, director of the Missouri Department of Conservation and Thomas
Russell, research supervisor of the Missouri Department of Conservation
saying that they had advised him to get hold of us for specimens.

Specific species for research and teaching collections were asked for and he
mentioned that he was "stuyding the skeletal morphology of the world
Asipenseridae and Polyodontidae fish families"

It seems as if the majority of the letters were the same or similar in
content and request.  It also seems as if a coupple of herpetology
collections are also involved.

It has recently emerged that this is a hoax and that this "Life Science
Museum" is in fact a biological specimen clearing house (uncovered by Bill
Eschmeyer on the ASIH news bulletin).  No such museum exists and no fire
took place.

I was one of the unfortunate few (it seems as if about 7 collections so far
have been scammed) who were taken in by this scam and sent him a number of
fish specimens from our collection.  I was then bombarded by faxes from this
Dr. Haq saying that the fish had never arrived and would I send more.  His
emails became ever more forceful requesting that I do my duty and send more
specimens and that I must kindly reply to his unacknowledged faxes.  I have
also received a couple of emails.  Unfortunately he made a mistake in cc'ing
the name of my CA on the return fax which he could only have known if the
material had arrived.

I have attempted to find any information about this museum on the web to no
avail.  In my attempts to unravel this story I have sent emails to a member
of ASIH from India, the governor of Jhansi and a hotel on the same street to
try and get some information.  I am hoping that one of these will turn up
something.

So, what to do.  I have taken it upon myself to try and get this guy put out
of business, once I have conclusive evidence that this is indeed a hoax.
Herewith I have given all the details of this Dr. Haq in the hopes that
someone on this list or beyond will be able to help with information to
assist me in doing this.  Any help in identifying this man or his
"organisation" would be greatly appreciated.  If those people who were
involved could send me a list of material that they sent to Dr. Haq it may
help in some way.

Dr. Mohammad F. Haq
Director
Life-Science Museum
1066 Civil Lines
Jhansi-284001
Uttra Pradesh
India

Tel: 517-443018
Fax: 517-331917

His email has changed twice:

mfhaq at indiatimes.com
mfhaq_jhansi at yahoo.com

Thanks

Andy

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Andy Bentley
Ichthyology Collection Manager
University of Kansas
Natural History Museum
Dyche Hall
1345 Jayhawk Boulevard
Lawrence, KS, 66045-7561
USA

Tel: (785) 864-3863
Fax: (785) 864-5335
Email: ABentley at ku.edu              :
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