SEDONA, Ariz. (CelebrityAccess) Artist manager Bill Stankey recently sent out an email to his contemporaries to be on the lookout for a potential scam originating from the United Arab Emirates.
Stankey was recently contacted by those allegedly representing Majid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to book one of his artists in the UAE. Maktoum is the fifth son of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of UAE and Emir of Dubai.
The person presenting himself as an associated of Maktoum has contacted several representatives of celebrities according to Stankey, who represents television personality Ty Pennington, among others. The request includes a charity component, which Stankey says is common for the UAE, and soon he was on the phone with the alleged attorney for Maktoum.
“It looks 100 percent legit,” Stankey told CelebrityAccess, “right down to the glam shopping experience.”
In other words, it’s common for an A-list celebrity to get enticed to the UAE with tens of thousands of dollars to be spent on shopping.
However, in this case, a few details caught Stankey’s attention. First, the contract was sent on a Friday, just when the banks would be closing for Memorial Day weekend, along with a cashier’s check from Citizens Bank that is “completely fake-looking.” He asked that the alleged representatives send confirmation from their bank via Federal Express but never got it. Then, the party asked for the donation money to be returned.
Stankey said he has contacted the actual reps for Majid bin Rashid Al Maktoum but has not had a response.
