On July 21 last year, when this newspaper published an exclusive report titled ‘United Nations awards Bangladesh actor Zayed Khan!’, where we provided information centering a dubious entity named ‘Institute of Public Policy and Diplomacy Research (IPPDR) headed by Andrise Bass, which was involved in selling prizes to various individuals in exchange for cash.

Few days later, on July 29, 2023, we published a second report titled – ‘Doubts surround Bangladeshi actor’s “Humanitarian Award”: An examination of Andrise Bass and her controversial organizations’, where our Special Contributor Anita Mathur wrote: “A recent event has caught the attention of the media in Bangladesh. Zayed Khan, a popular Bangladeshi actor, claimed to have received a “Humanitarian Leadership Award”, with supposed ties to the United Nations. This assertion has caused a media stir and has been challenged by Blitz, a prominent Bangladeshi newspaper. The controversy lies not just in the award, but in the organization and the person behind it — Andrise Bass…”

On July 23, 2023, in another report titled – ‘Exposing prize mill ‘Institute of Public Policy and Diplomacy Research’ it was stated:

An organization named ‘Institute of Public Policy and Diplomacy Research’ (IPPDR) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization operating from 733 Third Avenue, Suite 1686, New York, NY 10017, United States in currently hitting news headlines in Bangladesh following a dubious prize-giving ceremony. Although it was reported in the local media that IPPDR has awarded 40 individuals, including Bangladeshi actor Zayed Khan, there is no group photograph of the recipients, except for just two – either on the IPPDR website or any other media outlets.

While news reports in the media also said, “Apart from the 40 awardees, the ambassadors of different countries in the world were present at the event”, Anita Mathur, Special Correspondent of this newspaper has cross-checked the matter and found it to be utterly false.

This newspaper has also sent individual emails to most of the names appearing in the IPPDR website as recipients of its award, asking if they attended the event.

Meanwhile, vernacular daily Kaler Kantho in its report said, US President Joe Biden has sent a congratulatory message for this event organized by Institute of Public Policy and Diplomacy Research.

In response to Blitz email, United Nations (UN) has categorically said, it has no connections either with IPPDR or the award given to Bangladeshi actor Zayed Khan. It also said, ‘Institute of Public Policy and Diplomacy Research’ is not affiliated with the United Nations.

But this information was later proved to be totally false as President Biden neither sent any such message nor the White House officials are even aware of any such event.

According to its website, IPPDR describes itself as an “institutional organization that strives to be an academic platform to promote lifelong learning education for all and to train students to develop an economic, political, good governance, leadership, and social system that determines a future that is safeguarded and sheltered toward a sustainable future”.

Being rattled at our continuous exposé, on August 21, 2023 IPPDR sent a legal notice through its lawyer in Bangladesh stating, “We have been instructed by our client, Andrise Bass; BSCJ; MBA; Ph.D, founder of Institute of Public Policy & Diplomacy Research (IPPDR) of 733 3rd Avenue, New York, 11017, to address you with regard to the news report published in your Newspaper on 23. 07. 2023 and 29. 07. 2023 under the aforesaid headlines…”

In the legal notice, Andrise Bass’ lawyer said, “That our client Dr. Andrise Bass is the founder of the Institute of Public Policy and Diplomacy Research (hereinafter “IPPDR”) which stands at the nexus of education, policy formulation, and global outreach. Championing the cause of ‘education for all the IPPDR firmly believes in the transformative power of knowledge to create informed leaders who can architect a sustainable future. She has been involved in climate change education and advocacy for many years, mentored by former US Vice President Al Gore (former US Vice President and Noble Peace Prize Winner). She has dedicated her life to fighting injustice, promoting healthcare, equality, and sound immigration policies. She has been a passionate advocate against minor sex trafficking since 2005 and has developed programs to assist youths globally”.

Following publication of our response to the aforesaid legal notice on August 31, 2023, Andrise Bass, her so-called organization Institute of Public Policy and Diplomacy Research (IPDDR) and its cohorts went totally mum.

Tyler Grosso receiving bogus prize from IPPDR scam racket kingpin Andrise Bass – Photo EIN Presswire

Surprisingly, after more than a year of the publication of our response to legal notice from Andrise Bass, on October 15, 2024, we received an email from an individual named Tyler Gross stating:

Hello,

I hope this message finds you well. I am reaching out regarding an article published from the IPPDR email address (info @ippdr.org) that features my name. I kindly request the removal of my name and any SEO for this article to Google, as I do not wish to be associated with this organization. 

The article link is: Exposing prize mill ‘Institute of Public Policy and Diplomacy Research’ 

I would greatly appreciate your prompt attention to this request. Thank you for your assistance. I attached a picture with my name highlighted in the article.

As we asked the reason behind such request for deleting existing reports in Blitz exposing criminal activities of IPDDR, Gross in an email dated October 16, 2024 said:

I want to emphasize that the information in the article is private and must remain confidential. I do not authorize its use for interpretation by anyone other than yourself. I am unsure of the motivations behind the article’s publication, but I kindly request that it be deleted.

The IPPDR is fully aware of the situation and has taken action regarding my profile and related materials. I was invited to participate in an award ceremony due to a donation made on my behalf, but I was not informed of the organization’s true intentions. I do not wish to engage with any members who have previously discussed matters with me, as I do not align with the organization’s motives or initiatives.

Please remove the article and all related information from your database and company records. I have attached a conversation with IPPDR confirming their actions, which included the removal of my profile and two other articles. This is the final piece that needs to be addressed. Also a screenshot from a press article that IPPDr has taken down. THere were three in total – yours is the last one.

As we asked for his address, phone number and photo, Tyler Gross accordingly provided us his address, phone number and a photo which shows his receiving prize from IPDDR. According to information, Gross lives in New York City.

Then on October 18, 2024, Tyler Grosso in another email stated:

Please verify for yourself that similar articles have all been removed from other sources online. The award dinner occurred last year, and both Institute of Public Policy & Diplomacy Research and I have made our requests known. Please have this article removed, thank you for your understanding. 

Here are two other sources that similar articles have been taken down from per our requests. 

– WFXRtv: https://www.wfxrtv.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/647599483/humanitarian-leaders-celebrate-un-sustainability-goals-at-the-inaugural-humanitarian-platinum-leadership-awards/

– Fox 8: https://fox8.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/647599483/humanitarian-leaders-celebrate-un-sustainability-goals-at-the-inaugural-humanitarian-platinum-leadership-awards/

Accordingly, we informed Grosso, links he provided are Press Release catered by EIN Presswire, which was a PR content about the prize giving ceremony organized by the fraudulent Institute of Public Policy & Diplomacy Research (IPPDR).

We also informed him that both the contents in the link he shared were removed alongside many others following publication of our investigative reports.

This made us suspicious about the actual identity of Tyler Grosso, as we started thinking, it was Andrise Bass, who was communicating with us through Tyler Grosso to get all the reports about IPPDR removed from our newspaper’s online edition, despite the fact these reports were also published in our print edition. We told Grosso, for getting contents deleted, there are some fees.

In response, Tyler Grosso came up with a suspicious statement saying:

If you cannot understand and comply, then I would request your management to reach out to me. Once again to be really clear (I have stated the same jargon 4 times now lol) – I do not want any connection to your newspaper or you. I am not a part of the IPPDR, I donated $500, and they have since returned my money. I do not work with them, do not speak with them and am not a victim of anything. ANY publication further will be a lie and I do not care if you want to write lies, just not at my extent. I am a single person, not a company. Do not use my name Tyler Grosso anymore. Thank you and remove my name from the 3 articles. 

Meaning, Tyler Grosso has paid US$500 to Institute of Public Policy and Diplomacy Research (IPDDR) for the prize. In plain words – Andrise Bass, Institute of Public Policy and Diplomacy Research (IPDDR) and the entire racket have been selling “prize” and scamming people by falsely pretending to be an international organization. Andrise Bass even claimed to have given a similar “prize” to US President Joe Biden.

We also found that the original press release, which IPDDR or Tyler Grosso had published through EIN Presswire was not removed, although Grosso initially claimed this to have also been removed.

We have meanwhile received continuous emails from Tyler Grosso – each time to remove all the reports about IPDDR and then with a newer request of removing his name as recipient of the bogus prize.

In this case, law enforcement agencies in the United States, including New York Police Department (NYPD) and the Federal Investigation Bureau (FBI) must immediately launch an investigation against Andrise Bass and her entire racket for scamming various individuals in the United States and abroad by selling so-called prizes in exchange for cash. They also should be investigated for falsely using the name of President Joe Biden as recipient of their prize as well pretending to be an affiliated organization of the United Nations as well as the State Department.

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Source: Weekly Blitz :: Writings