Flintshire County Council Trading Standards, OFT (Office of Fair Trading) and the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) are warning the public to be on their guard against a new Jamaican-based lottery scam which has already seen some UK residents lose thousands of pounds each.
Fraudulent telemarketers based in Jamaica are making unsolicited phonecalls to consumers telling them they have won a sum of up to £2.5million, in a lottery or sweepstake. The fraudsters often pretend to be lawyers, bank officials, customs officers or lottery representatives to try and convince consumers that their prize is genuine. However, to ‘release’ their winnings, victims are told they must send money to pay for taxes, processing fees, insurance or customs duties. Victims receive repeated calls for further money and in some cases have suffered threats of violence, arrest and removal to Jamaica if they do not pay up.
The fraudsters have pressurised some elderly victims into sending off their entire life savings. The victim’s money ends up in the hands of organised gangs and helps to fund other serious crime in Jamaica.
The fraudsters have also targeted consumers in other countries such as the United States where victims are estimated to have lost $30 million. In response, SOCA and the OFT are working with international law enforcement partners to tackle this and other types of mass marketed fraud.
Heather Clayton, OFT Senior Director, said: ‘We know that Jamaican-based lottery fraudsters have actively targeted US consumers in the past but we are now beginning to see this emerge as a problem in the UK. What is despicable is that some victims have been threatened with violence to coerce them into handing over their life savings. A genuine lottery would never ask someone to pay taxes, insurance or any other fee before receiving their ‘winnings’.’
Sharon Lemon, Deputy Director at SOCA, said: ‘There is no doubt that there are links between mass marketing fraud and other serious organised criminality, including drugs importation and threats of violence. Falling victim to mass marketing frauds is not something people bring on themselves. They are deliberately and ruthlessly targeted by organised criminal groups. The potential harm inflicted is not just financial, but physical and psychological. Law enforcement, advice groups, and the public all have a part to play in preventing these crimes.’
Ron Hughes, Head of Flintshire Trading Standards, said: “We support the advice issued by OFT and SOCA. If anyone has been duped by this scam please contact this service by phoning 01352 703181.”
People needing advice on how to avoid scams can visit the Consumer Direct website at www.consumerdirect.gov.uk or call the helpline on 08454 04 05 06.
