GULFPORT, MS — A Jamaican national was arrested in Gulfport, Mississippi, Monday for his role in an alleged Jamaican lottery scam.
Damion Aljunior Hill, 33, is in America on a work visa, but now faces two counts of wire fraud.
Investigators with the Attorney General's Office Consumer Protection Division said the two alleged victims were told that they had won the lottery, but were required to pay taxes before the award could be made. Monies were then wired to Jamaica. The victims said they received numerous calls on a daily basis, promising big cash prizes, jewelry and cars, but never received anything.
"These types of scams almost always cross national borders," said Attorney General Jim Hood. "Typically, the defendant is overseas too which usually makes these cases difficult to prosecute."
Hill was booked into the Harrison County Detention Center, and bond was set at $125,000 on each count.
Attorney General Hood has some advice for anyone who receives a call or email like this: Ignore it. If you have not entered into a lottery or sweepstakes, then it is likely you have not won one. If you've won, you don't have to pay to get your prize.
He said scammers will often try to get you to wire money, because that's the same as sending cash. Be wary when someone tries to rush you to wire money or overnight a check or money order.
Also, remember that phone numbers can deceive. If you do not wish to receive solicitation calls, be sure you are registered on the National Do Not Call Registry (888-382-1222) and the MS Do Not Call Registry (866-622-5567).
He looks as happy as a lottery winner. I guess his work visa paid off, til he got caught that is.
Why do people still fall for these types of scams, dont they know that you have to play the lottery to win it
Good point th19940305, I wish I was in Hollywood FL right now. I would be out drift fishing on the Blue Heron.
Have a great night everyone.
These scammers are hard to catch, and should lose it all when caught.
But the real souition is for people learn to about these scams.
Remember folks,
"there is no such thing as a free lunch"
I think a poster here has it as a sig. line.
Tinstaafl.
Did get that right ?
He's happy because America will give you a Orange Tuxedo and a free meal when you get arrested.
lol
I wish I knew. TLCML had a scammed person on one episode.
How can you not remember entering a lottery, but think it's okay to send thousands of dollars to a non-US bank to pay taxes on it?
Then again, I couldn't believe anyone fell for those Nigerian royalty email scams, until I found out how many did. There's one born every minute.
And cable tv & gym
He won the jackpot twice. First with scamming money from those people and now with free room and board with healthclub membership benefits.
Why wouldn't he be all smiles?
Exactly Teddi, it's a shame we have to pay for our cable tv and gym memberhip
This bum is smiling because he is gonna JUMP BAIL No doubt!
He won't jump bail. He has nowhere he can go. Prison in America or prison in Jamaica.
He's not going anywhere
There are different scams all over the world. It takes a lot of effort to eradicate scams. We need each and everyone's cooperation to deal with them. People should be extremely careful in giving money to someone they don't know.