This scam preys on emotions of Muslims, asking them to donate to a foundation headed by Sultan Hassan Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei.
Of course, a foundation by the name "Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Foundation" does exist. However, it would not need to ask for money (Brunei and the Sultan are oil rich), nor will it do so via an obscure email.
Here is the text of the mail:
Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2007 05:58:13 +0800 (BNT)
Subject: Stand up for Islam
From: "Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah" <sultan@netkad.com.bn>
To: foundation@netkad.com.bnGreetings in the name of Allah, the most beneficent,the most merciful.
Dear friend in Islam,
In todays world where Islam is being linked to terrorism we muslims have a duty to defend our good religion thereby exonerating ourselves from the negative image being created by western media against our faith. No one else but we muslims can do this for ourselves. Age or gender is not a barrier you can always make an impact no matter who you are.
The sultan of Brunei is currently funding muslims willing to take up a role for the propagation of the good message of Islam. This is the work of ALLAH which we Muslims are called as revealed to his holliness prophet Muhammad(peace be unto his name). We must not continue allowing the western media determine the image of Islam to the whole world.
If you are willing to stand up for our faith please indicate your interest and also a pledge to use any money received judiciously. Then will my international fund managers contact you to raise you a bank draft/cheque. Since this is also a way of paying my zakat(Qur'an 9:60) I am still deciding on the amount you will receive but be informed when you receive the money you use it for the propagation of the good message of Islam for example in radio talk shows , TV , print , internet or any medium prefarable to you like charity works.If you are not in position to undertake this responsibility you may simply pass on any money received to any good muslim within your community who you feel can undertake this project, all I want is good results no matter how money spent.
Your response and any gratitude should be sent to the Sultan Haji Foundation at email: foundation@netkad.com.bn to the attention of my secretary Mr.Yang Mulia Awang Haji or to Mr.J. H.Bin Lunchai. Note that message sent otherwise will not get a reply.
At your leisure you may also view my photo gallery and others by going to website www.infofoto.org.bn
Best regards,
His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah
(King of Brunei)
Lapangan Terbang Lama
Berakas BB1010,
Brunei Darussalam
Photo Gallery www.infofoto.org.bn
Comments
Brunei official (not verified)
You are damaging the image of Brunei
Sun, 2007/07/29 - 11:53Please stop damaging the image of Brunei!!.The sultan of Brunei gives out money to muslims and non muslims regularly.Those who received the message you have mistakenly posted on your website as scam have actually recently been paid some money by the king.However if some scam artists have used same message to pre on people is not a valid reason for you to indiscriminately desecrate the king by posting this message on your website without due consultation with the Brunei government. Serious legal action may be taken against you be warned!!.
Khalid
Assuming you are really a
Sun, 2007/07/29 - 12:10Assuming you are really a Brunei official, and not some troll on the net, I am replying to you.
If you look at this entire section of the site about internet scams and fraud, it is a collection of various scams being propagated by email. It includes scams in the name of various African officials, Yasser Arafat, the Sultan of Brunei and many others.
Please take some time to read the samples and see that the scammers have a variety of methods, and they are quite successful, otherwise they would not continue their attempts.
The purpose of publishing this email is warn people who get such fraudulent emails not to respond to them as the scammers use his name (and many other public figures and causes) to defraud people of their money.
I don't see where I am "indiscriminately desecrating the king" at all here, since it is clear that I am stating this is a scam.
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Khalid Baheyeldin
Brunei official (not verified)
This time you totally got it wrong!
Mon, 2007/07/30 - 09:08The name of the king as used here is real
The name of his foundation as used here is real
His email addresses as used here is real
The web address of his photo gallery as used here is real
My question is; Why didn't you first consult the Brunei government to verify the authenticity or not of this message before ever posting same on your website?.And you are telling me you have done nothing wrong??
Khalid
Scammer, go away ...
Mon, 2007/07/30 - 12:58The official gallery of the Sultan is here.
You are most likely a scammer who was deprived of being able to scam others using the name of Brunei and its Sultan, and hence writing these messages.
If this is real, then where is the press release on Brunei's government web site? Why would the Sultan resort to bulk email (i.e. spam) for this?
It seems you are not the only scammer, or foundation in his name. Check this other foundation that also claims his name, with photos of the Colosseum in Rome and the Great Wall of China, asking people to donate to a bank in Taiwan!
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Khalid Baheyeldin
rashid (not verified)
suggestion
Thu, 2015/07/09 - 12:27Sir many times i have mailed and comments on it please please save the image of islam and brunie and prince haji sultan we respect all and islam first i could not recieved the funds from your side but i trust and i know regularly honourable prince giving mobey to diffrent people and religions there is no doubt but my request again if you want to help any body you m7st your embassy of the concern person country it is the way to aware by the fraud and schams please abd i am ready to go brunie embassy to proof them i am needy and i need some financisl assistance legally i will proif them please dont try to damage the image of honourable prince haji sultan he is helping all jazakalkah
Torry Supriyatno (not verified)
Permintaan ( ulang ) donasi.
Thu, 2008/11/13 - 01:33Assalaamu alaikum, wa rahmatuLLAAHi wa barakatuh.
Saya akan mengulang permintaan donasi saya kepada Sultan Hasanul Bolkiah yang saya sampaikan satu tahun yang lalu.
Nama saya, Torry Supriyatno, usia 46 tahun. Saya memiliki 1 orang istri dan tidak hanya memiliki 2 orang anak ( Sukma - 9 th, dan Wisnu - 13 th. ), tapi juga 1 anak lagi yang tidak ikut saya ( Wahyu - 17 th)
Sampai saat ini saya belum berkesempatan memiliki rumah sendiri. Saya hanya mampu membayar kamar sewa untuk menampung anak dan istri saya.
Saya bahkan belum punya kendaraan, almari, tempat tidur sendiri.
Anak saya Wisnu, belum membayar 5 bulan uang sekolahnya. Belum membayar uang pendaftaran ketika masuk SMP 2 Ungaran. Bahkan belum dihitan karena belum ada biaya.
Saya bekerja di pabrik disekitar saya tinggal dengan upah 1 bulannya hanya cukup untuk makan 1 orang selama 21 hari saja.
Oleh karena itu mohon bantuan Sultan, berupa apapun.
Semoga Allah membalas semua kebaikan Sultan.
Torry Supriyatno
Jalan Bali Utara 3/depan c1 Ungaran 50519 - Indonesia.
Rekening Bank ( didapat secara gratis dari perusahaan ): BCA 222-032471-3
Khalid
Confirmed scammer
Tue, 2007/07/31 - 00:33After some research, it turns out that the above two messages claimed to be from a Brunei Offical are indeed by criminal scammers.
This was confirmed because the IP address that was used to post the above messages belongs to a block of addresses from Africa, and not from Brunei.
Here is the IP subnet.
What callousness ...
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Khalid Baheyeldin
rashid (not verified)
help in ramdan for allah
Thu, 2015/07/09 - 12:49Sir on monday i am going to the embassy of brunie darrusalam seoul south korea and properly i will request to the honourable prince haji sultan for 15000 thousand dollars to stable my future i can not work more due to backbone problem and please avoid these type of romurs who spreading islam against propeganda in end of the time allah will accountability them who are demaging the image of islam and brunie
Brunei official (not verified)
You lacks total knowledge of who the king is
Tue, 2007/07/31 - 06:40Yes, I am on an official visit to Africa where the king is currently funding provision of anti-retroviral medicines to help HIV/AID victims survive.
Brunei have no knowledge of those websites being used by criminals in the foundation's name.While you may be right exposing those fake websites you do not have any rights to post on your website as a scam a legitimate correspondence by the king.If you remain sturbon we will most certainly pursue a legal action against you upon my return.
Khalid
Thanks for the laugh
Tue, 2007/07/31 - 10:38Ha ha ha ha ha.
Nice one: official from Brunei visiting Africa ...
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Khalid Baheyeldin
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