Scamsters prey on LGBTQ+ activists from the Global South, inviting them to fake conferences in Canada

Activists were offered scholarship aid if they paid hefty application fees and sent personal data

This image was used on the scammers’ website. An Xtra investigation determined it is a photo of a real event that was altered to make the scamsters’ claims seem legitimate. The Conan Charitable Foundation is a real Canadian charity, but it has no website and does not focus on LGBTQ+ rights. (Photo courtesy of Xtra)

LGBTQ+ rights activists in Ghana, Pakistan, Uganda, South Africa and elsewhere were the targets of an elaborate online scam offering admission to fake LGBTQ+ conferences in Canada in 2024 and 2025, the online Canadian LGBTQ2S+ publication Xtra reported.

Targeted victims were first promised partial sponsorships to non-existent events in Ottawa and Montreal in October 2024 and July 2025, after which they were asked for upfront fees and sensitive personal data.

The scammers variously listed the sponsors of the non-existent conferences as:

The Maple Diversity Alliance, which is connected to a currently non-functioning website labeled by Scam-Detector.com as “suspicious” with the advice “we recommend staying away”; and
The Conam Charitable Foundation, an actual Canadian charity that has no connection to the scammers or the non-existent conferences — and no website.

Xtra reported that it had traced “some of the emails and online postings about the fake event[s] to accounts in Tanzania, an East African nation of about 67 million where financial prosperity and LGBTQ+ rights are in short supply.”

The scamsters established a website that displayed photos of real events that had been altered to include the name and logo of a fake charity.

This image was used on the scammers’ website. An Xtra investigation determined it is a photo of a real event that was altered to include the name and a phony logo for the Conam Charitable Foundation, which the scammers claimed to represent. (Photo courtesy of Xtra)

Their Facebook page describes these supposed events:

A Conam Pride Fund, offering “support for your projects and initiatives that promote inclusivity, advocacy, and empowerment within the LGBTQ+ community.” “#ApplyNow”;
An Annual General Meeting in November 2024, no location given. (“This year’s focus on Protecting Trans Youths brought together incredible advocates, inspiring stories, and meaningful discussions.”)
A Conam Global LGBTQI Equality Program in December 2024, no location given. (“The event brought together passionate advocates, community leaders, and changemakers from across the globe to discuss innovative strategies and collaborative solutions for advancing LGBTQI equality. “)
A supposed LGBTQ+ gathering in July 2025 (the 2025 Conam LGBTQ+ Rights Summit & Conference in Montreal);
A Conam Global LGBTQI Empowerment Week in Ottawa in January 2026.

Xtra reported how the scam nearly extracted $445 Canadian (about U.S. $320) from one Pakistani activist:

Farhan Wilayat Butt, a Pakistan-based human rights activist with an interest in religious minority and disability rights, wanted to attend the [non-existent conference] in Montreal. Though not LGBTQ2S+ himself, he’s also does advocacy and support work for trans rights. He … saw a social media post and was enthusiastic about combining his passion for human rights activism with a trip to Canada.

The person who responded to Butt identified themself as the conference co-ordinator and signed the email “Benjamin Logan (She/They).” In the email chain, they instructed “Shany,” “head of finance & support,” to create a payment link for Butt either using a digital wallet app called Skrill or the Pakistani financial institution Meezan Bank.

A bank holiday was going to delay Butt’s payment, so it was suggested that he use the wire transfer services MoneyGram or Western Union to send money to one of Maple Diversity Alliance’s “worldwide offices.” This included one in “East Africa,” the region where Tanzania is located.

Butt says when he visited a Western Union office to send the money, staff demanded several documents before they would complete the transfer. In his next email to event organizers, he sounded weary and exasperated.

“These visits consumed half of my working hours (as I took half-leave from my work) but I couldn’t make [the transaction] due to their mandatory requirements,” Butt wrote.

Organizers suggested Butt send money directly to an individual through MoneyGram.

“Our Regional head in Tanzania will be able to provide his government ID so you will find it easy to send,” the email said. “I am sure it won’t be difficult. You can tell them you are sending it to a friend.”

This was concerning to Butt. He did further research and noticed the recent creation date of the website that advertised the conference. The name of the Facebook page had also recently changed. That, plus a lack of photos and videos from past conferences, made Butt wonder if he should move forward with payment.

At that point, he decided not to send them any money

The full Xtra report is here.