|
P R E S S R E L E A S E |
DFA ALERTS PUBLIC VS. SCAM ON MISUSE OF UN NAME AND EMBLEM
18 March 2005 -- The Department of Foreign Affairs today warns the public against a scam on the misuse of the United Nations (UN) name and emblem by a certain ‘Mr. Thomas Stewart’ who reportedly operates in the Philippines.
In his report to the Department, Ambassador Lauro L. Baja, Jr., Philippine Permanent Representative to the UN in New York, said that the UN has requested the Philippine Mission’s assistance in warning the Philippine public and to refer this matter to the appropriate national authorities for their assistance in putting an end to this unauthorized and false activity in the name of the UN perpetrated by this Mr. Stewart, who reportedly holds his main office in Diliman, Quezon City.
The UN said a certain ‘Mr. Thomas Stewart’ has been falsely representing himself as an official of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and soliciting applications for certain vacancies with OCHA.
Mr. Stewart’s modus operandi is mainly carried out through phone and e-mail correspondence where he solicits applications for courier vacancies in the OCHA who will assist in the transfer of funds from donors to the UN for humanitarian assistance. The candidates who would fill such vacancies will be required to accept funds contributed by donors directly in their bank accounts, and immediately transferring the funds to OCHA’s bank accounts, minus five percent of the funds contributed, which they would be allowed to keep as compensation for their services. Candidates are asked to download the ‘Employment Agreement’ from the address: www.ochaonline.org/agreement/agreement.eng.rtf. The UN advises the public that this website, to which the applicants are directed, is an identical copy of the official website of the OCHA and uses the UN name and emblem.
Ambassador Baja stressed that Mr. Stewart’s correspondence and the ‘Employment Agreement’ located in the website are false and unauthorized by the UN and no relations with the international agency.
Attached are the sample correspondence and the ‘Employment Agreement’ being used by Mr. Stewart. END
END
/jay