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Jamaican lottery scam drives man to suicideNews Story
Includes video report An ongoing sinister scam continues to cause some victims to lose their entire life savings from thieves operating from a country and an ocean away. The special Jamaican Organized Crime Task Force is taking on scammers who cost unsuspecting Americans hundreds of millions of dollars each year. They find all the tools of the trade. Cellphones, cash, and lists of phone numbers are used by suspects. Some go as far as driving a nail through their computers to disable the
May 24, 2016, 8:23 am - Lottery News

Florida woman admits role in lottery fraudNews Story
A Broward County, Florida, woman pleaded guilty Monday to her role in a Jamaica-based telemarketing lottery fraud that targeted seniors in the U.S. Elizabeth Gonzalez, 25, of Hollywood and Miami Gardens, a nurse, pleaded guilty to a federal wire fraud conspiracy charge in federal court in Fort Lauderdale. Her husband, Delroy Drummond, a musician who also goes by the name Top Banga, age 26, has been locked up has been locked up without bond since January. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to
May 17, 2016, 7:54 am - Lottery News

US man pleads guilty to participating in Jamaica-based lottery scamNews Story
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) says a South Florida man has pleaded guilty for his role in a Jamaica-based telemarketing fraud scheme. Delroy Drummond, 26, of Broward County, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349. Drummond is scheduled to be sentenced on May 31, where he will face a maximum statutory sentence of up to 20 years in prison. According to documents and information presented in co
Mar 15, 2016, 8:27 am - Lottery News

FBI warns about lottery fraudNews Story
The telephone call came from out of the blue. The man on the line told the 83-year-old retired schoolteacher she had won a substantial lottery prize. All that was required to claim the windfall was to pay taxes and other fees. Before it was over, the victim a Virginia resident who had meticulously saved for her retirement was out more than $500,000 in a scam that has become all too familiar among the elderly. The criminals behind these lottery frauds and other telemarketing scams prey on s
Mar 9, 2016, 10:00 am - Lottery News

Federal officials work to extradite Jamaican lottery scammersNews Story
Jamaican lottery scammer Sanjay Williams got off a plane in Charlotte, North Carolina, in June 2013, on his way to meet with the people who moved money for him. He was promptly arrested by U.S. law enforcement authorities, convicted in May and sentenced to 20 years in a U.S. prison. While the arrest on American soil spared authorities from extraditing Williams, rounding up his associate in the wide-ranging operation and 13 other suspects still believed to be in Jamaica is proving to be more o
Dec 26, 2015, 1:27 pm - Lottery News

Ex-TSA agent, Atlanta police officer sentenced in lottery schemeNews Story
A Douglasville, Ga., man must serve 27 months in prison and one year of supervised release after pleading guilty for his role in a Jamaican-based fraudulent lottery scheme targeting senior-adult victims in the United States. Dominic Hugh Smith, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Robert J. Conrad Jr. of the Western District of North Carolina. Smith was ordered to pay $724,408.79 in restitution, the U.S. Justice Department said in a prepared statement. In June 2014, Smith pleaded
Oct 26, 2015, 12:29 pm - Lottery News

Driven to death by phone scammersNews Story
The phone calls wouldn't stop. The man on the other end of the line made promises of a big payoff: millions of dollars in prize money. But first the IRS needed $1,500 in taxes, he insisted, then the jackpot would arrive at the family home, a camera crew ready to capture the excitement. The calls came a couple of times a day; other times, nearly 50. Mr. Albert, we need the money to be sent today ... Don't hang up the phone, Mr. Albert ... Mr. Albert, don't tell your wife about this
Oct 7, 2015, 10:08 pm - Lottery News

Lottery scam with a twist hitting Central TexasNews Story
How would you react if you heard, Congratulations, your prize has been reserved! over the phone? The message is part of a sophisticated phone scam plaguing Central Texas, and is responsible for stealing millions of dollars from Americans each year. Joann Keilberg and her husband Jim almost fell for it. The Smithville, Texas, couple received a call in July from someone claiming to work for Publishers Clearing House. I was happy, Keilburg said. The caller said the won couple won $3.5
Sep 5, 2015, 8:10 am - Lottery News

Jamaican DJ to plead guilty in lottery scamNews Story
A prominent Jamaican disc jockey charged for his role in a lottery scam targeting older people in the Dakotas and elsewhere is scheduled to plead guilty. Deon-ville O'Hara, also known as ZJ Wah Wa, is among 26 people who were indicted by a federal grand jury in North Dakota, where the investigation is centered. He is charged with three counts, including conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering. A plea agreement filed last month calls for O'Hara to plead guilty to conspiracy, which carr
Oct 8, 2014, 7:37 am - Lottery News

Jamaican lottery scam investigation leads to MississippiNews Story
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 numer
Jun 17, 2013, 9:01 pm - Lottery News