Paris Exhibition June 2007 FACT OR FICTION?

[Marcia]

Is this a hoax? Has anyone else received an invitation to exhibit? Sounds too good to be true...so I guess it isn't but I'd love to know if anyone and everyone else received the same invitation I did. Marcia Raff
I DON'T ALWAYS GET NOTICE OF REPLIES SO COULD YOU SEND ME AN EMAIL AT mARCIA224@AOL.COM, IF YOU'VE ANY INFO ON THIS. THANKS MUCHO.

[anne (bxl)]

Hi Marcia,
Could you teel me more about the invitation? Organizers? place? cost?
I know Paris quite well and don't know of any major exhibition at that time.
Anne

(copy by personal e-mail)

[Marcia]

Hi Marcia,
Could you teel me more about the invitation? Organizers? place? cost?
I know Paris quite well and don't know of any major exhibition at that time.
Anne

Hi Anne,
Thanks for your response. Here is a copy of what the email said:
"Cher Marcia,

I am delighted to inform You that you have been selected to participate in Paris 2007 contemporary art exhibition which is to take place here in Paris, France. As a sculptor you are entitled to a preparation grant of $500. The exhibition is slated to hold on the 11th to 15th of june 2007 and sponsored by the Government of the state of paris in conjuction with some corporate bodies.

You are expected to come along with some of your work and be ready to explain every motive and inspiration behind every of your work to all who will be interested in your work.You also have the opportunity of showcasing and selling your work and ideas to interested buyers around the world at the exhibition.

If you will be available for the exhibiton forward to us your name, postal address, and telephone number. Note that the information supplied will undergo a serious scrutiny before approval can be given for the grant to be issued to you.

We will be responsible for transportation to and fro. Accomodation and feeding will be provided by us during the one week exhibition. A guaranteed sum of $5000 courtesy by the state of Paris will be given to you immediately after the one week exhibition.

You have the right to accept or decline this invitation.

Yours Sincerely,

Bellamy Percival."

It sounded too good to be true, so I assume it is and that's why I posted a query about it asking of anyone else got this email. So far you're the only one I've heard from. I did a check of the internet and there is no Contemporary Art Exhibit in 2007 listed.
What are your thoughts? He didn't ask for any money YET, that is. I'll post any responses I get from him.

Marcia

[fused]

Quite the curious invitation, it's oddly worded proclaimations, mis-spellings and punctuation make me skeptical of any official authenticity.
I've also never received an invitation or "cold" request for info via email for an international exhibition.

Sure smells bogus, future correspondence and requests should be very interesting.

[anne (bxl)]

they don't even know your name?? how do they select you? who are they? where would the exhibition be located (Paris is huge)?
nothing sounds familiar to me in this invitation. Take care!

[philpraxis]

Originally Posted by anne (bxl)

they don't even know your name?? how do they select you? who are they? where would the exhibition be located (Paris is huge)?
nothing sounds familiar to me in this invitation. Take care!

I would agree with Anne here. Be very careful.

- Term "Guaranteed" sounds so much like spam / scam vocabulary.
- Google never heard about this Percival Bellamy
- There doesn't seem to be any reference to any organization, and that is really fishy too because they usually put tons of references for any mail they send.

Best,
Philippe.

[Studioinde]

I received one of these emails also. I smelled a rat right away. If you notice that there is no mention of a name for the exhibition, a venue for the exhibition, no website for the exhibition, etc. It seems like a variation on the scam to try and get you to send shipping money via western union, after they have sent you a bogus cashiers check that bounces as soon as you wire transfer money. I would stay well clear of this one.......

[fused]

There is an American Kennel Club champion Golden Retriever named Percival Bellamy.
[...] transportation to and fro [...] and feeding will be provided [...]
Ha Ha Ha!

[Tlouis]

I received one of these solicitations by snail mail a couple years ago. I assumed it was the first step in a money grab and I threw it out.
This could be a troll at work. Best to ignore it.
Lou

[Julianna]

I finally got my invitation! My work must not be very good if I'm so far down on their list

I had a bit of fun with this guy:

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

On 09/11/2006 3:18 AM, Bellamy Percival (bellamypercival@yahoo.fr) wrote:

Cher Julianna Yau,

I am delighted to inform You that you have been selected to participate in Paris 2007 contemporary art exhibition which is to take place here in Paris, France.As a sculptor you are entitled to a preparation grant of $500. The exhibition is slated to hold on the 11th to 15th of june 2007 and sponsored by the Government of the state of paris in conjuction with some corporate bodies.

You are expected to come along with some of your work and be ready to explain every motive and inspiration behind every of your work to all who will be interested in your work.You also have the opportunity of showcasing and selling your work and ideas to interested buyers around the world at the exhibition.

If you will be available for the exhibiton forward to us your name, postal address, and telephone number. Note that the information supplied will undergo a serious scrutiny before approval can be given for the grant to be issued to you.

We will be responsible for transportation to and fro. Accomodation and feeding will be provided by us during the one week exhibition. A guaranteed sum of $5000 courtesy by the state of Paris will be given to you immediately after the one week exhibition.

You have the right to accept or decline this invitation.

Yours Sincerely,

Bellamy Percival


On 09/11/2006 5:43 AM, I wrote:

Hi, Bellamy.

That sounds like a wonderful opportunity. Is there an official website and/or some additional information you can provide about the exhibition?

Thanks.

Julianna


On 09/11/2006 11:21 AM, Bellamy Percival (bellamypercival@yahoo.fr) wrote:

Cher Julianna,

Thanks for your responce. As I stated clearly to you in my last letter I was obligated to contact all nominated artist/sculptors based on the list I have here with me. I do not know the conditions for your nomination but I believe that your work is termed to be relevant in contemporary terms and time.

A website will be out soon and sent to all invited artist for perusal. These website when completed will carry detailed answers to all questions that might need to be answered concerning the exhibition.

This is not the first time such an event will take place but it is perharps the first time a government of a state will be responsible for 80% sponsorship. A lot of letters were sent out to various sculptors around the world but I must tell you that the space available is limited. I will suggest you send your details as required to enable you make the list and benefit from the preparation grant.

Regards

Bellamy Percival


On 09/11/2006 5:17 PM, I wrote:

Hi, Bellamy.

I appreciate that in a large exhibition such as this one that the jobs would be clearly defined. Are you able to provide me with the email address or phone number of a representative who could give me more details? I do not want to bother you about issues which are not within your job function. If not, could you forward this email to them and have them contact me? When will the website be available? I'm surprised it's not already available, but I guess it's much more work than I can imagine.

I am very interested in being a part of the exhibition but will need some more information before I am sure that I can participate.

Thank you for your help.

Julianna


On 10/11/2006 5:35 AM, Bellamy Percival (bellamypercival@yahoo.fr) wrote:

Cher Julianna,

My instruction are quite clear to me. I am to invite those on the list here with me and when responce arives at the number that the commitee are willing to sponser based on the money made available to them I will stop and hand over the names and adresses of those that have indicated their interest to attend and perharps move to the next stage which I believe is the hiring of an exhibition management company to coordinate the exhibition.

I understand your fears that was why I added to my leter to you that you have the rigt to accept or decline these invitation. However, I have been asked to inform all invited artist that their questions will be answered by the website that is forthcomming. I am not to divulge any information concerning any member of the commitee at these early stage of preparation.

I hope you understand.

Merci beaucoup

Bellamy


On 10/11/2006 6:27 AM, I wrote:

Hi, Bellamy.

I am very interested in the Paris 2007 Contemporary Art Exhibition. I have been asking for more information from you or your peers because I have also been invited to the Contemporary Review of Art in Paris. It sounds like Paris is going to be busy with contemporary art next year! Unfortunately, the dates overlap so I am not able to attend both exhibitions.

Even though the Contemporary Review is requiring a deposit to secure my spot, they have been very accommodating with information. I was hoping the Contemporary Art Exhibition would be able to provide me with information also so I can decide which to attend. It would, of course, be better for me financially to go to your event because of the generous bursary.

I appreciate that your instructions are simply to invite artists to the event. I of course do not want you to get in trouble for divulging the information of your committee members. Are you able to pass my email onwards to your superiors so they can forward it to the appropriate area to provide me with some preliminary information?

Thank you.

Julianna

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

I lost him after that. Was Contemporary Review of Art in Paris too obviously CRAP? Was my insistence on more information not worth his while? Is this real and I lost my chance at going to Paris and making $5,500 (and not 4,000 Euros)? hehe.

As a side note, I have decided to start a website where artists can go to ask others whether these solicitations are legit and to post the correspondence they have with these supposed representatives of supposed exhibitions. I'll let you all know when it's up and running (I'm waiting for my hosting package to be activated).

[fused]

I hope you all get further information and we get to peek at the website of this "exhibition."
[...] the hiring of an exhibition management company [...] could be the hook.

[marblecutter]

Invitation to Paris HOAX show

Many sculptors of ISC have received an invitation from a
Bellamy Percival about a Paris show. Many are puzzled by the
"TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE" offer. The name of the sender of that mail
provides some clues to the riddle.

In French, Belle Amie means beautiful friend.
Below is a partial entry on the MYTH of Percival

Parsifal , figure of Arthurian legend also known as Sir Percivale, who is
in turn a later form of a hero of Celtic myth. The name originally occurs
as Pryderi, an alternative name of Gwry in Pwyll Prince of Dyved, a tale
in the Mabinogion. Gwry is the original of Gawain, and in the later
Percivale stories Gawain appears, often fulfilling the same role as the
hero. The great feature of the Percivale cycle is the Holy Grail, and
Welsh sources connect this sacred talisman with Percivale, who finds the
Grail. Chrétien de Troyes is the author of the first great artistic
treatment of the theme; in Chrétien's unfinished poem Percivale finds the
Grail at the Fisher King's castle and heals the king. The Parzival of
Wolfram von Eschenbach is one of the greatest medieval poems. Drawn
largely from Chrétien, von Eschenbach's story is highly spiritualized and
appears essentially in the form used by Richard Wagner in his music drama
Parsifal. In the Morte d'Arthur of Sir Thomas Malory, Percivale is
admitted to the Grail with Galahad and Bors.
See R. S. Loomis, Arthurian Tradition & Chrétien de Troyes (1949) and
Arthurian Literature in the Middle Ages (1959); R. Cavendish, King Arthur
and the Grail (1985).
http://lycos.infoplease.com/ce6/ent/A0837726.html

Here is the metaphysical message of Parsifal:
"Stop striving, deny the will, accept that suffering is
an inevitable part of life and that desires can never be fully satisfied."
Parsifal Opera

[millicent]

I received an 'invitation' like Julianna and Marcia. I sent Bellamy one query and got the same reply as Julianna but then did not pursue it. Today I received the following:

On behalf of the organizing committee of PARIS 2007 CONTEMPORARY ART EXHIBITION, I wish to thank you once again for accepting to honour us with your presence. To ensure that the exhibition becomes a huge success come June 2007 the organizing committee has set into motion various programmers to help you have a wonderful exhibition here in Paris.

One of these is the hiring of a reliable exhibition management company in Beijing, China known as Unique Exhibition Managers Limited (BECA approved) to organize and undertake the following functions:-

-Liaison with the exhibition organizers
-Health and Safety submissions
-Production of graphics
-Booking of power & services
-Delivery and installation
-Worldwide support
-building of ultra modern exhibition stands

You will benefit from the services of an experienced project manager who will be your primary personal contact, from the original concept of your exhibition stand design which is to be built in an open space provided by the ministry of art and culture. Your project manager will ensure that all the finer details are taken care of and will provide you with valuable advice on how to increase your visitor numbers.

In view of these, the organizing committee is sending a travelers check of $2500 to you which you shall receive from Fedex in a few hours time. See below instructions

(1)They are American Express Travelers Checks of $500 each x 5 = $2500

(2)You'll SIGN at the top of each check where it is written holder's signature

(3)Write the date at the top right where it is written date

(4)Write your name where is it written ...PAY TO THE ORDER OF ...

(5)Then you'll take them to the bank

(6)At the bank you'll sign again at the top left where it is written countersign in the presence of the person cashing before cash will be given to you.

You are expected to deduct your $500 preparation grant promised and pay $2000 via Western Union money transfer to the company accountant name below to secure your stand.

Name:- VICTOR FALOWO
Address: - 41 wangjing liu
City: - Beijing, 100004
Country:- China.

Details for payment should be mailed to uniqueexhibitionmanage@accountant.com to include senders name, address, MTCN or control number and your telephone number. Immediately payment is confirmed, you will automatically be assigned a project manager who will immediately contact you to discuss your exhibition design requirements. From that initial discussion, they will sketch their stand design ideas, present them for further discussion and consideration as it is important that your exhibition stand design will attracts customers and help you to stand out from your competitors. However ensure you copy us the evidence of payment as mailed to Unique Exhibition Managers Limited for our records.

Note however that we will be sending you another $6,000(as approved by the organizing committee) to cover for ticketing, reservation and transportation of yourself and your indoor and movable outdoor artwork coming with you. These amount, will be sent after Unique Exhibition Managers Limited has confirmed your payment to us.

It is the belief of the organizing committee that if every invited participant should be given the opportunity of an active involvement and participation in the planning process of the exhibition it will help to create a sense of belonging and thereby ensuring a smoother takeof of the exhibition proper in june 2007.

Thanks for your anticipated cooperation.

Yours Sincerely,

Bellamy Percival.



ANybody else receive this?

[fused]

This is a scam in the same format as what's been going on for several years with internet purchases of art and many other things,
using a fraudulent overpayment scheme for shipping, handling, service, etc, and requesting a cash refund of the balance.
The overpayment to you is totally bogus but your Western Union money transfer is the same as cash.
Follow the instructions and you will be out $2000 of your own hard earned money.

(1)They send counterfeit American Express Travelers Checks of $500 each x 5 = worthless. ( 5 x $0.00 = $0.00 )
(2) thru (5) yadda yadda yadda
(6) If your bank honors these counterfeit checks you will held liable for the full ammount when the fraud is discovered weeks later.
Any monies sent to Beijing, China or anywhere else in the world will never be recovered.


The Better Business Bureau recommends:
If you receive a letter or email from a Nigerian scammer, don't respond! U.S. citizens or residents should label the letter "No Financial Loss - For Your Database" and fax it to the U.S. Secret Service Task Force handling Nigerian scam cases at 202.406.6930; forward Nigerian Scam emails to the Task Force's email address at 419.fcd@usss.treas.gov .

Here is the FTC Consumer Alert and also the Internet Fraud Watch.

[millicent]

Thanks.
The part I was missing was theat I would be liable for the Travellers Cheques if they turn out to be bogus.
Ive been attentive to these scams but this one perpelexed me .
Thanks again

[donnadodsonarti]

My invitation came from a 'Michael Pierre De lutz'

[Bill Harsey]

What Fused says.

The scams are real.

[obseq]

Another point to consider--

When you are given contact information, (especially unsolicited) that includes domains such as "accountant.com," run that, (along with the exact e-mail address given, uniqueexhibitionmanage-at-accountant-dot-com ) through a search engine to see what comes back.

In this case, you can see that "accountant.com" is a dormant domain.
You can only imagine that you would be dealing with a scam in some capacity.

Thanks to everyone contributing to this thread!

[Julianna]

If you do a whois query on the domain name, you'll find that the domain is registered to what seems to be a real person in New Jersey. The registrant's email address gerald.gorman@att.net, however, turns up on numerous spammer blacklists on search engines.

I've been compiling all of this info at http://www.bogusartfair.info/node/6 and sending emails to artists I know to warn them about this.

If you've fallen victim to this, take the issue to your local police. Scams like this have become quite commonplace and many local police units have now included this type of scam as something their fraud departments investigate (or forward to the appropriate areas).

[RuBert]

I just got a new email from ISC warning about this scam.

Re: "I am writing to inform you of a scam that has been brought to my attention. You may have received an email similar to the one below, or some correspondence with this group indicating that they are in some way affiliated with the ISC. Please be aware that this is a scam and the ISC has no connection with this group of people".

PARIS 2007 CONTEMPORARY ART EXHIBITION

Anyway, this is now the third version of this scam I have seen.

It seems such "Art Scams" are getting more sophisticated in their approach. It is a good idea to remain vigilant and post warnings when we see one that seems to be spreading like this one does.

[donnadodsonarti]

I received pink cardboard folder with silver stars on it in the mail this afternoon with $2000 worth of AmEx travelers checks and the card says Merry Christmas! Season Greeting from the organising committee paris 2007 contemporary art exhibition. See your email for further instructions. It was sent By Air mail- Roayl Mail with a 72 stamp. Very interesting!

[fused]

More of the same: Artists Need be Aware of Internet Fraud

Most people are sadly becoming aware of fraudsters using the internet to take money from unsuspecting victims across the country and worldwide. If it isn’t a con artist using the name of a reputable company to steal your bank details, it is someone informing you that you have won a fortune or could inherit millions from a country you never heard of. Well, now it seems this type of fraud is putting the livelihood of artists at risk too.

Here is a message we received warning of a fraud being perpetuated across the country. We would ask all artists to be weary when receiving orders, and to check details if anything looks suspicious.

Today I received a $4000 cashier's check for paintings seen on my web site. It turned out to be fraudulent, and it seems that this person has been scamming artists in other states as well......and may be finding them from searching the internet and using online directories. Fortunately I was skeptical enough to have someone check out its validity before depositing it and then writing a check to the bogus shipper. I would have lost $2400 plus three original paintings. I checked on this person using an online search, her name was Elaine Holly, and I found reports from several other artists who were not so fortunate, but had been given the same story. I hope there is some way you can get the word out to everyone, fast.

Similar scam once again, overpayment with a request to pass on a money order/cashiers check to a shipper/handler.
This is the site where a Minnesota artist told what happened to her - Dec 11, 2006.

[donnadodsonarti]

i heard on the news this morning that part of the 'fake check' scam is that the sender can gain access to your bank account if the checks are cashed!

[ironman]

Hi, HMMmmmm, let's see here?
A fool and his money are soon parted!
There's a sucker born every minute!
Anyone want to add to the list?
Have a great day and remain SKEPTICAL!
Jeff

[fused]

"i heard on the news this morning that part of the 'fake check' scam is that the sender can gain access to your bank account if the checks are cashed!"

A fake check has no connection to anybody except you, so no account information is being passed on to a third party. Your bank will hold you accountable for the full ammount of the bogus monies plus any additional expenses incurred because of the lack of funds in your account and may accuse you of bank fraud for passing the check.