A Scam, as defined by Webster's dictionary, is
"A fraudulent scheme" To swindle or cheat" "To defraud"
A Fraudulent action is to be involved is a fraud.
A Fraud is defined as deceit or trickery. A particular instance of fraud is the
same as a deceitful act or a deceitful person who is an imposter. (One who
represents himself as someone he is not)
Deceitful is the intent to deceive or mislead. A
deceiver is one who misleads by a false appearance or statement.
This column is an ongoing list of questionable
companies or persons who have in some way, shape, or form, mislead the members
of our Fellowship. Because misleading is not always a violation of the law, we
fall short of any implication of accusation of illegal action. However, we
present this list as an alert to our Fellowship and other poets that might be
unaware.
If you have had an encounter with a person or
company that is questionable as to moral integrity, business practices or other
matters related to poets, please e-mail the details to ScamAlerts@christianpoets.com.
Be sure to include the contact name, phone number, address and full details on
what is questionable.
Questionable Persons and/or Companies
1. Jamal HAQQ and HAQQ Associates
This company was contracted to produce musical
CD's for the Fellowship of Christian Poets and it's members. Promises were
made to publish and distribute CD's to Christian bookstores nationwide.
Contracts were signed that offered royalties to participating poets. Each poet
contributed a $39.95 entry fee.
Mr. Haqq produced 10 or so CD's including two
Anthologies, one of which was over three months late and arrived only after
numerous calls and a final threat of a law suit.
Mr. Haqq then began to solicit investors in his
company from the many responders from CD promotions, without the consent or
knowledge of this Fellowship.
Finally, reports began coming in from poets
that send money for CD production and never received the finished product.
When refunds were requested, the poets were give a delaying answer, to the
effect that there were no funds currently available and that they would have
to wait. Several poets are still waiting.
All ties with Jamal Haqq and the Fellowship of
Christian Poets were broken. CD promotions were cancelled and Mr. Haqq was
instructed, by e-mail and certified mail, to stop any marketing or productions
that displayed this Fellowship's name, symbols or other endorsement.
As of 8/29/01, Mr. Haqq had several CD's
displayed on a, so-called Christian website, www.jesuswebchurch.com. He
was actively offering them for sale and using them to draw others into his web
of deceit…all without the knowledge and consent of the authors. As of
8/31/01, this website was unavailable or moved, no doubt due to an e-mail sent
demanding immediate withdrawal.
If you have had an unsatisfactory experience
with Jamal Haqq or HAQQ and Associates or any other individual or company,
please notify Scam Alert. scamalert@christianpoets.com.