Hairdresser among three arrested for scamming
Published:Wednesday | February 22, 2023 | 1:15 AMAdrian Frater/Acting News Editor
WESTERN BUREAU:
A 19-year-old hairdresser was among three persons arrested and charged in Hanover on Tuesday for lottery scamming offences in two operations carried out by investigators assigned to the Lottery Scam Task Force, which is based in Montego Bay, St James.
According to police reports, the three persons, who are all from addresses in Orange Bay, Hanover, were charged with possession of identity information and possession of access devices.
In the first of the two operations, which was carried out at approximately 4:30 a.m., a two-bedroom dwelling house, which was occupied by a man and a woman, was searched. During the search, two cellular phones belonging to the man were found to be populated with names, addresses, telephone numbers, and bank information of persons residing overseas.
The man and the woman, identified as 27-year-old Deno Vassiana and 19-year-old hairdresser Amoya Smith, of Church Lane in Orange Bay.
The court date for their first appearance in court has not been finalised.
Later, about 9 a.m., 27-year-old Calwayne Whyte, an auto repairman of Wharf Road in Orange Bay, was arrested and charged following an operation at his home.
During a search of his house, two cellular phones with photographs of lead sheets were found. Further search revealed Microsoft Excel files populated with names, addresses, telephone numbers, and bank information of persons residing overseas.
“Lottery scamming remains a serious problem in this parish despite the success we have been arresting scammers,” said Superintendent Sharon Beeput, the commander officer for the Hanover Police Division. “Last year, we arrested 23 persons for scamming, and so far, six have been convicted. In addition, we dismantled three major scamming syndicates in the parish.”
Despite initiatives such as the establishment of the Jamaican Operations Link to Telemarketing (JOLT) task force and the extradition of several scammers to face justice in the United States, scamming continues to flourish as the scammers find new ways to beat the system.
The JOLT task force, which was formally launched in 2009, is made up of the Immigration Customs Enforcement division of the United States Homeland Security Department, the United States Embassy in Jamaica, the Jamaica Constabulary Force, and individuals from a number of state agencies, including Customs; the Passport. Immigration and Citizenship Agency; the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions; and the Financial Investigations Division of the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service.