[NHCOLL-L:2969] RE: "needful things"

Wed Feb 22 09:45:50 EST 2006

Dear All

I forward this message from Andy Bentley that was posted to this list Jan 2005.  It explains what these e-mails from India are really about.

Regards

Paul

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Dr Paul G. Davis
Registrar
Natural History Museum
Cromwell Road
London, SW7 5BD

Telephone +44 (0)20 7942 5458
Fax +44 (0)20 7942 5765
Mobile 07905 607162
e-mail P.Davis at nhm.ac.uk
www.nhm.ac.uk
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-----Original Message-----
From: Bentley, Andrew Charles [mailto:abentley at ku.edu]
Sent: 18 January 2005 20:44
To: NHCOLL-L at lists.yale.edu
Subject: [NHCOLL-L:2527] Dr. Haq has resurfaced

Hi all

I am writing this email as a warning to all collection managers and curators.  It appears as if our old friend Dr, Haq is up and running again.  This is a gentleman (and his associate Mr. Rehman) from India who periodically send emails to collections requesting specimens for teaching and educational purposes.  They used to claim that their institution had recently had a catastrophic fire that had wiped out all of their collections - but now it appears that they are just appealing to the good nature of collection staff.  I have attached the latest rendition of the letter below sent to a fellow fish collection manager requesting specimens.

If you receive such a letter, please be aware that these people are nothing more than a biological supply house who are requesting specimens to resell for profit.  I have it on reliable authority that there is no such institution as the LSM Division of Biosciences Laboratory and that this is in deed a biological supply house.  I have been unable to obtain any information to the contrary despite numerous requests from both Dr.'s Haq and Rehman.  I have also been unsuccessful in trying to have these people put out of business despite letters and emails to authorities and politicians in Northern India.

Please do not be duped by these people into sending valuable specimens.

Thanks

Andy

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Respected Mr. ********; 

        HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU, YOUR FAMILY and YOUR STAFF.

    First of all, I would like to give you our own introduction. I am  Sheikh Taufique Rehman, Manager of the LSM-Division of Bioscience Laboratory which is an Educational and Scientific Research Institution in Northern India. Besides the research activities, we also teach extensive courses in world Zoology whereby every students can have a comprehensive knowledge of the World Zoological Fauna before obtaining a Master of Science Degree in Zoology. Our Collection is also open for general public so that they could understand about the Animal world.
      Presently, we are in need of the following PRESERVED FISH SPECIMENS  for TAXONOMICAL  REPRESENTATION & MUSEUM COLLECTION which could be studied by our 240 Students of B.Sc. Final Year ,60 students of M.Sc.Zoology(Final Year) and General Public too. 
      On most humanitarian ground,please help us and provide the following  PRESERVED FISH SPECIMENS, and send via AIR-POST PARCEL OR VIA EMS AIRMAIL PARCEL  through Post Office:

  Hag-fish;Myxine/Eptatretus sps.        PRESERVED  05 specimens
  Hydrolagus colliei( 8"-16"  Total length)    "    03 specimens
  Lepisosteus osseus (8"-12" size )            "    04 specimens
  Lepisosteus other species  do-              "    03 specimens
  Amia calva (8"-10" size)                    "    03 specimens
  Petromyzon marinus ; adult                  "    03 specimens
  Ichthyomyzon sps.                            "    03 specimens
  Lampetra sps.                                "    03 Specimens
  AMMOCOETES LARVAE; 4"-6" SIZE                "    04 specimens
  and ANY PERMISSIABLE  ACIPENSER /STURGEON    "    02 specimens

    Now, the decision is in your capable hands. Please think over my request on most Humanitarian ground, keeping in mind the obvious Scientific  & Educational need.ON your PARCEL, PACKING-LIST, CUSTOMS TAGS and On INVOICE, PLEASE MARK the following dewxclaration as per Indian Rules:
" TEACHING-AID MATERIAL OF PRESERVED FISHES FOR SCIENTIFIC STUDY USE HAVING NO COMMERCIAL VALUE;ACTUAL COST DOES NOT EXCEED $.20-00 BUT NOT CHARGEABLE ( FOR CUSTOMS POURPOSE ONLY ). THESE FISHES ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE NEGATIVE-LIST."

      Hopefully, I am awaiting to have your earliest reply by Email. WE ARE MOST HOPEFUL. Please cooperate with us on most humanitarian ground and oblige. Thanking you.
With best regards, I remain
Respectfully yours,

Sheikh Taufique Rehman(Mr.)
Manager
LSM-Division of Bioscience Laboratory
1066 Civil Lines
Jhansi-284001, Uttar Pradesh
INDIA.

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Andy Bentley
Ichthyology Collection Manager
University of Kansas
Natural History Museum & Biodiversity Research Center
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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-----Original Message-----
From: owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu
[mailto:owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu]On Behalf Of Dick, Carl
Sent: 22 February 2006 13:06
To: nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu
Subject: [NHCOLL-L:2968] RE: "needful things"

Greg:

Did the request come as a personal email, or over a list-serve?  If
list-serve, which one?  Might you forward the message to the list (with
highly visible disclaimer on top) so we can see what to be aware of?

I get so much non list-serve junk email that I trash most of it without
paying close attention!

*******************************
Carl W. Dick
Brown Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of Zoology
Field Museum of Natural History
1400 South Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60605-2496 USA

Phone: (312) 665-7014
FAX:   (312) 665-7754
Email:  cdick at fieldmuseum.org

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu 
> [mailto:owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Gregory 
> Watkins-Colwell
> Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2006 6:47 AM
> To: nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu
> Subject: [NHCOLL-L:2967] "needful things"
> 
> Remember a few years ago when an e-mail was circulating from 
> some, apparently mythical, museum in India that burnt down 
> and needed new specimens shipped to it immediately for the 
> various students to study?  I just got another such e-mail 
> from a different name and a different place.  But the same 
> basic needs...
> 
> Anybody else get this?  I am assuming that it is still a 
> hoax.  Anybody know anymore about it?
> 
> Greg
> ******************************************************
> *       Gregory J. Watkins-Colwell
> *       Vertebrate Zoology
> *       Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History
> *       170 Whitney Avenue, P. O. Box 208118
> *       New Haven, CT  06520-8118
> *       Phone: 203/432-3791
> *       FAX: 203/432-2874
> *       http://www.peabody.yale.edu
> ******************************************************  
> 
> 