International Art Fraud Ring Thwarted in Morocco Museum Scam Attempt

According to a press release from the FNM, Shi Yulei, a Chinese, Adam Nicholas Elton, a Canadian and Sow Souleymane Gohide, a Senegalese are the masterminds of this attempted fraud. They posed as people mandated by the foundation. To commit their crime, they forged an agreement with the letterhead of the foundation and that of the Ministry of Culture, as well as the signature of Mr. Qotbi. The document was sent to the targeted institutions. The alleged scammers were planning to acquire antique works, in the name of this foundation, to resell them at a higher price.

"A two-year renewable contract has been established between the foundation and the following experts, whose mission is to search for the various collections in their coverage areas and to establish the various purchase contracts with the owners in place of the National Foundation of Museums (contract duration: from March 12, 2019 to March 12, 2021)," reads the alleged agreement.

The passport numbers of the alleged scammers are mentioned in the text with other details: Shi Yulei, a Chinese national, is mandated for Asia and South America with residence in New York, United States, Senegalese Sow Souleymane Gohide for Africa and Madagascar with residence in Rabat, Morocco and finally Adam Nicholas Elton, mandated for Oceania with residence in Wellington, New Zealand.

The alert came from Bertrand Busset, a Swiss consultant who works for museums internationally. "After being contacted by one of the usurpers, this Swiss consultant sent us an email to verify if these people were indeed mandated by the foundation. We immediately replied that this was never the case," says Mr. Qotbi.

For now, the FNM has limited itself to a simple press release denouncing this attempted fraud. "We are discussing it. By Monday, we will decide whether or not to take this case to court," says the president of the foundation.