The OFT and the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) are warning the public to be on their guard against a new Jamaican-based lottery scam which has already seen some UK residents lose thousands of pounds each.

Fraudulent telemarketers based in Jamaica are making unsolicited phone calls to consumers telling them they have won a sum of up to £2.5 million, in a lottery or sweepstake. The fraudsters often pretend to be lawyers, bank officials, customs officers or lottery representatives to try and convince consumers that their prize is genuine. However, to 'release' their winnings, victims are told they must send money to pay for taxes, processing fees, insurance or customs duties. Victims receive repeated calls for further money, and in some cases have suffered threats of violence, arrest and removal to Jamaica if they do not pay up.

The fraudsters have pressurised some elderly victims into sending off their entire life savings. The victim's money ends up in the hands of organised gangs and helps to fund other serious crime in Jamaica.

The fraudsters have also targeted consumers in other countries such as the United States where victims are estimated to have lost $30 million. In response, SOCA and the OFT are working with international law enforcement partners to tackle this and other types of mass marketed fraud.

Case Study
On 26 January 2009, Warwickshire Police were contacted by an extremely distressed 79-year old woman from the Midlands who had received a series of phone calls from someone in Jamaica to say that she had won £2.5 million in the lottery. The caller told her that to receive her winnings she would need to pay the tax in advance. The woman has on six separate occasions paid money to the value of £3,150, her life savings, via wire transfer, to a person in Jamaica. The woman finally decided to call police after the caller told her that Jamaican police would be arresting her and deporting her to Jamaica and she would need a solicitor. Officers have reassured the woman and told her not to send any more money. Enquiries are ongoing.

Heather Clayton, OFT Senior Director, said:

'We know that Jamaican-based lottery fraudsters have actively targeted US consumers in the past but we are now beginning to see this emerge as a problem in the UK. What is despicable is that some victims have been threatened with violence to coerce them into handing over their life savings. A genuine lottery would never ask someone to pay taxes, insurance or any other fee before receiving their 'winnings'.'

Paul Evans, Director of Intervention at SOCA, said:

'There is no doubt that there are links between mass marketing fraud and other serious organised criminality, including drugs importation and threats of violence. Falling victim to mass marketing frauds is not something people bring on themselves. They are deliberately and ruthlessly targeted by organised criminal groups. The potential harm inflicted is not just financial, but physical and psychological. Law enforcement, advice groups, and the public all have a part to play in preventing these crimes.'

People needing advice on how to avoid scams can visit the Consumer Direct website at www.consumerdirect.gov.uk or call the helpline on 08454 04 05 06.

For more information on the campaign please contact the team at 3 Monkeys Communications on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 020 7009 3100.

More on this and additional notes can be found here OFT press release 18 Dec 2009

Debtwizard comment

The elderly are more vulnerable to this type of scam, please speak with family and friends and anyone that you think may be duped by this. Once the money has gone, then its gone!