I received a very professional-looking e-invite to the Matruh International Granite Sculpture Symposium, which has a very professional-looking website. I haven't been able to poinpoint exactly whether this is real or a scam, but I suspect it's another elaborate cheque scam.

The tip-off was the wording they chose:
* The symposium Authority shall provide for flight tickets (to and fro) reservations, with full accommodation for every artist.
* Each participant Artist will secure a sum of 10000L.E. (ten thousand Egyptian pounds) during the symposium. This will be cashed on a monthly basis, two installments 5000L.E. (five thousand Egyptian pounds, each.

Giving them the benefit of the doubt, I did some more surface-level research on the symposium. Here is what I found:

• website lists many directors who are supposed to be from the Faculty of Fine Arts, at the Alexandrian University (http://www.alex.edu.eg/), but the university's website does not list them as faculty members
• profile for "Mr .Mohammed Selim" ("General Mgr. Andalus and Hegaz Co, President) is unavailable; a search for his name results in this article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4722945.stm, indicating "Mohammed Selim, 27, who follows Egypt's underground music scene in his work for a Cairo events publication."
• profile for "Prof. Dr. / Mostafa AbdEl – Moity" seems to have been pulled verbatum from this page: http://www.zamalekartgallery.com/en_ex_artist.php?artistID=13&exhibitionID=18&availiable=
• profile for "Tareek Zabady" shows images of what is supposedly his work, which is an inconsistent body of work; his name can not be found in a web search
• their whois record (http://www.whois.net/whois_new.cgi?d=symposiummatruh&tld=com) shows that the website is being administered out of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada but the symposium is supposed to be out of Egypt
• I could not find reference to a "Al-Andalusia Resort in Marca Matruh" online, nor could I find the resort or location on their own

Assuming that there are legitimate reasons for the above, it is also noteworthy that the symposium is in its first year and may be overseas for many of the artists they are contact. Artists are advised to proceed with extreme caution when dealing with these people. If you are in contact with them, have your bank check the cheque or money order they provide you thoroughly and explain that you suspect it may be fake.