ICE said the funds were recovered by its Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). Photo: Caribbean360

ICE said the funds were recovered by its Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).

According to ICE, the unidentified woman, in her 90s, had received information in May 2012 that she had won a lottery prize and was later contacted by an unidentified man who told her she owed US$9,000 in taxes and other expenses in order to receive the prize.

“The fraudsters cheated her out of nearly US$200,000 before she reported the scam to law enforcement,” the immigration agency said, adding that HSI special agents, along with other law enforcement agencies and the woman’s financial institution had been able to identify a bank account at the National Commercial Bank in Jamaica, where the illegally obtained funds had been deposited.

Under Project JOLT (Jamaican Operations Linked to Telemarketing), an international task force comprised of agents and officers focused on combating Jamaican-based telemarketing fraud operations, special agents from HSI Kingston worked with local authorities in returning the US$45,000 left in the scammer's account to the victim.

ICE said that the criminal investigation is ongoing.

“Unfortunately, we at ICE have seen these schemes all too often,” said Brock D. Nicholson, special agent in charge of HSI Atlanta, Georgia, adding “we urge the public to remain vigilant and remember the old adage ‘ if it appears too good to be true, it probably is’”.

ICE said under the scheme, telemarketing fraudsters call US citizens leading them to believing that they have won an international, multimillion-dollar sweepstakes.

“The scammers tell the victims that in order to receive their winnings they have to pay an advance fee, usually described as a tax, insurance or customs duty that must be paid to release their winnings,” ICS said, noting that the victims are instructed to send the advance fee via Western Union, Money Gram or other methods to co-conspirators in Jamaica.

The immigration agency said other telemarketing schemes include phony inheritance, investment and disaster relief scams, as well as scams claiming that the victim's own grandchildren are in need of help.

“According to Jamaican law enforcement, telemarketing fraud is also a lucrative mechanism for local gangs to raise capital to facilitate the smuggling of weapons into Jamaica and the smuggling of narcotics to the United States,” it said.