CTOC head says online scams increasing

Head of the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch, Assistant Commissioner of Police Anthony McLaughlin, is encouraging social media users not to be gullible to scams online.

McLaughlin says in recent times his unit has received an increased number of complaints from Jamaicans who have been scammed by persons advertising fake products particularly on Instagram.

"There have been several instances where several persons will see things on Instagram being advertised and they comply with the instructions posted. Then what happens next is that once you verify that you have lodged the money into the account ... you're either blocked from calling back that number or they give you the runaround or they change their numbers. So they will tell you that the phone for example will be coming in two hours and after two hours they say 'Oh' and give you some excuse and tell you until eventually, they just block you," he said.

ONLINE PLATFORMS

McLaughlin says that with an increase in use of online platforms due to lockdowns, the number of fake sellers has increased significantly.

"I can't give you a figure but it's an everyday thing. If it's not jobs, it's rented property, it's education, it's goods online like phones, motor cars, bikes. It's everything you can think that people can advertise people are being scammed," he said. McLaughlin noted that in many instances, the scammers rent people's bank accounts.

"So if I come to you and I say I will give you $10,000 or $20,000 to use your account then you wouldn't do it for a stranger. It'd have to be someone who you know or somebody recommends you to someone else. So the person whose name the account is in, is the person with whom first we will speak. And if that person cannot tell us who the persons or the person is who used an account, then that person will be arrested. Because as far as I'm concerned, it's your account and any transaction that is going to be done in your account it's you," he said.

McLaughlin says that in the event persons are scammed, there are means to seek recourse, but if victims don't know the person with whom they do business, then it is very challenging.

McLaughlin encouraged persons to verify these sources before they spend their money. He also advised persons to consider if the stated prices are too good to be true.

"Let's say for a computer you go to any one of the computer stores in Jamaica and you see a laptop for say $80,000 or $90,000 and they are advertising the same brand computer, the specs are the same and everything for $30,000, $40,000. Then something is wrong. Right away there should be a red flag," he said.