Adeyeon Talents: Scam Incorporated?

Long time Oman resident Elaine was on a shopping trip to Muscat City Centre when a familiar face caught her attention. Moosa who used to work at a restaurant that she frequently visited was at a kiosk selling VIP Cards and raffle tickets on behalf of Adeyeon Talents.

The young affable man convinced Elaine that he was selling the real deal. Buy a VIP membership for RO29 from his kiosk and get a VIP Card that guaranteed discounts at more than 100 outlets in Muscat alone. And if she had more money to spare (RO79), she could get the VIP

International Card that guaranteed discounts at over 600 outlets from 300 partner brands across the GCC.

And this was not all. VIP Card members were to be entered into a raffle to win a Lamborghini Gallardo supercar that was parked right next to the kiosk. Those who bought the VIP International Card would supposedly have three chances to win one of the two Lamborghinis that were put up for raffle.

A copy of the brochure and a membership card is available with Muscat Daily.

Seeing is after all believing, or so Elaine thought as did many other visitors to the Qurum and Muscat City Centres where this promotion ran for two months from July 28 to September 27, 2011. Employees at the malls where Adeyeon put up its car for display told Muscat Daily that hundreds of people had bought tickets for the VIP Card.

Sabco Centre too was a part of the promotion and a car was displayed there as well. 

However once the promotion period was over, the kiosks, the Gallardos and the staff promoting the VIP Card simply disappeared.

Attempts to reach the organisers on the telephone numbers given on the membership card were initially met with the promise that the raffle was just around the corner.

Ahmed who bought a VIP Card said that he was later told that the first Gallardo had been won by a 'lucky participant'. “Though I repeatedly asked for the name and contact details of the winner, the person at the other end refused to give it to me. He also told me that the second raffle was slightly delayed and would take place after a few weeks. This made me suspicious about the whole procedure,” said Ahmed.

DT, another victim who had bought the VIP Card and coupons told Muscat Daily, “I came across the Adeyeon stand, while shopping at Sabco Centre a few months back. The executive there convinced me of the benefits of participating in the Lamborghini raffle draw. I bought three tickets costing RO29 each. I kept one for myself and gave the other two to my children.” He added that a friend of his friend had bought four coupons from the same kiosk.

When DT called on the number printed on the coupons in early October to check on the results he was told that the winner of the first raffle draw was already announced and the second draw would be held soon. He tried getting in touch with them again later in October about the second draw. “By this time, the number was not working. On calling Sabco Centre, I was informed that the Lamborghini had already been removed and they did not have any further details.”

On enquiring with officials at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Muscat Daily found out that the organisers had twice taken permission to extend the date of the second raffle – the last time to end-November.

(Names of some people have been changed to protect their privacy)

BROKEN PROMISES

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