JO - Woman falls victim to Jamaican sweepstakes scam

From my archive of press clippings:

Jamaica Observer

Woman falls victim to Jamaican sweepstakes scam

JamaicaObserver.com

Saturday, May 08, 2010


SPOKANE VALLEY, USA — A Spokane Valley woman is the latest victim of Jamaica's lottery scammers.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"She has been identified on the KXLY.com website as Francis Miller and now finds herself unable to pay a telephone bill of US$230.91.
She racked up the bill calling Jamaica to verify if a call she got informing her that she had won a sweepstake prize of US$2.5 million was authentic. The scammers tried to solicit a fee of US$200 to insure the money for delivery. The scammers have been harassing Francis for months now.

The woman is single, has health problems and makes less than $700 a month on disability."

"Last year police in the US, Britain and Canada joined with Jamaican law enforcement to form a joint task force to combat the lottery scam which reportedly rakes in US$30 million annually."

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"Local police report that more than 100 persons have been killed by the lotto 'scammers' and say the scam is linked to the mayhem that has besieged the tourist resort of Montego Bay in St James.

Ten cops stationed at the Mount Salem police station in the parish were recommended retired in the public interest for their alleged roles in the illegal lotto scheme by former police commissioner Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin."

TP.IE - US citizens warned of Irish love scam

From my archive of press clippings:

The Post.IE

US citizens warned of Irish love scam

18 April 2010


By John Burke


Americans who fall for ‘Irish’ people online are being warned that their love interest may only be interested in their money.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"According to the US Department of State, US citizens are falling victim to a ‘‘prevalent’’ internet scam in which they are duped into thinking they have formed a romantic relationship with someone of Irish-American heritage, only to be hit with a demand for money."

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"According to the Department of State, a typical scammer will use a stolen photo of ‘‘someone attractive enough to elicit a response, but not so attractive as to draw undue attention’’.

The US officials could not say whether the scam was based entirely in Ireland or whether criminals were simply taking advantage of American familiarity with Ireland."

JG - Step-by-step anatomy of a scam

From my archive of press clippings:

Jamaica Gleaner

Step-by-step anatomy of a scam

Published: Sunday April 12, 2009

1. The scammers get your name and email address, physical address or phone number.

Read the whole article here.

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Source: US Federal Trade Commission

JG - Illegal transfers difficult to monitor - Eaton

From my archive of press clippings:

Jamaica Gleaner

Illegal transfers difficult to monitor - Eaton


Published: Sunday April 12, 2009

That is no problem for the scammers in St James which has 42 money transfer agencies


MONITORING THE complex and sometimes overwhelming Montego Bay lottery scam is not a simple task for remittance companies and their agents.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"By law, the companies are required to report any transaction that they deem suspicious to the Financial Investigation Division as well as to their head office.

Suspicious transactions include any unusual rise in remittances going to any particular agency or parish.

Remittance services and money transfer companies, like other financial institutions, are governed by the Proceeds of Crime Act which places a reporting threshold of US$5,000 on any transaction with these agencies."

"Using multiple collection outlets is no problem for the scammers in St James which has 42 money transfer agencies most of which are in Montego Bay."

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"The scammers use a number of methods to collect their money, including using multiple receivers and having the money wired through relatives and friends to ease suspicion. "

JG - Illicit trade 'no secret'

From my archive of press clippings:

Jamaica Gleaner


Illicit trade 'no secret'


Published: Sunday April 12, 2009


Gareth Manning, Staff Reporter

Several people collect money from the same person over and over on any given day when business is at its peak


HUNDREDS OF thousands of US dollars are being wired through money transfer agencies on a daily basis to tricksters in the out-of-control lottery scam, better known in the second city as 'the game'.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"The scammers tend to use branches of two agencies, The Sunday Gleaner understands, some of which, it appears, knowingly facilitate the practice for a percentage of the ill-gotten gains."

JG - Genesis of a racket

From my archive of press clippings:

Jamaica Gleaner

Genesis of a racket


Published: Sunday April 12, 2009


Paul Williams, Gleaner writer


Historic Sam Sharpe Square in Montego Bay is one of the many locations where illicit deals are conducted. The city is grappling with a high crime rate which is said to be fuelled by the illegal lottery-scam activity. - File


Already more than 20 members of the police force and at least 30 civilians have been arrested. The scammer collects the money and immediately breaks off communication with the victim.


THE MULTIMILLION-dollar lottery scam that has gripped western Jamaica for more than five years may have started in a little apartment near the upscale community of Coral Gardens in St James.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"But what began as a top-secret operation among a group of friends is now the centre of local and international criminal investigations.

Already more than 20 members of the police force and at least 30 civilians have been arrested in connection with the scam which is believed to have netted the criminals more than US$30 million. "

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"(A)s the foreigners found out that they were being conned. With the money no longer coming in, the criminals turned to other sources: telemarketing companies, located in the Montego Bay Free Port. Lists of names, email addresses and telephone numbers were obtained. Stage two was now activated.

The modus operandi was, and still is, to call overseas to tell the 'victim' that he or she has won the lottery or some other betting game but before they can collect the 'winnings', they must send a processing fee. This money is usually sent through a remittance agency.

The scammer collects the money and immediately breaks off communication with the victim. However, there are times when the scammer calls the victim a second time to say more money is needed as the first sum was not enough to process the prize."

JG - The 'game' - Sweepstakes scam takes root in MoBay ...

From my archive of press clippings:

Jamaica Gleaner

The 'game' - Sweepstakes scam takes root in MoBay ...


Published: Sunday April 12, 2009


Lovelette Brooks, News Editor

'Mother involved, grandfather involved, pickney involved. They make a lot of money and they are not afraid to talk about it'.


WE ARE are in the belly of Montego Bay, Jamaica's tourist capital. Not many visitors come to this area, which is inhabited by the street-savvy who like to party.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"Many unsuspecting individuals and habitual gamblers fall for the trick. Most of the victims are Americans, but the scammers have also fleeced unsuspecting persons from Canada and Europe, another source who works for one of the remittance companies confides. "

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"This fraudulent game has taken root in Montego Bay, St James - the hub of offshore call centres in Jamaica - and has slowly spread to neighbouring parishes. Despite efforts by local law enforcers and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation to capture leading players, the scam is flourishing. "

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lovelette.brooks@gleanerjm.com