KINGSTON, Jamaica—Authorities in Jamaica have issued an urgent public warning regarding a sophisticated fraud operation targeting citizens who have recently sold or are contemplating selling their private vehicles. The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has detailed a multi-layered scheme where criminals pose as law enforcement officials to extort money from unsuspecting victims.
According to an official security advisory, perpetrators initiate contact by telephone, falsely identifying themselves as police officers. They allege that vehicles previously sold by the recipients are actually stolen property, creating immediate panic and confusion. Utilizing this fabricated crisis, the fraudsters then demand urgent cash payments under the guise of either shielding the seller from potential prosecution or facilitating reimbursement to the alleged buyer.
The scheme employs an additional deceptive layer by recruiting ride-share drivers, who remain unaware they are participating in criminal activities. These drivers are enlisted as couriers to collect cash payments from victims and transport the illicit proceeds to predetermined drop locations, further obscuring the criminals’ identities.
Superintendent Victor Barrett of the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch (C-TOC) confirmed that multiple incidents are under active investigation. “These criminals are strategically exploiting fear and manufactured urgency to override their victims’ rational judgment,” Superintendent Barrett stated. “We emphatically advise the public to terminate any such communications immediately and report them to authorities.”
The JCF has released specific protective guidelines for public awareness:
– Absolutely no payments should be made to individuals demanding money over the phone.
– Legitimate police operations never involve soliciting or collecting cash from citizens to resolve criminal allegations or reimburse third parties.
– Immediately terminate any suspicious call and report the incident to local police or the Crime Stop hotline at 311.
Ride-share drivers received special caution against accepting requests to transport unaccompanied packages, particularly those suspected of containing currency, as such actions could inadvertently involve them in money laundering or other criminal proceedings.
The public is encouraged to report suspicious activity to C-TOC at 876-967-1389, the emergency police line 119, or any local police station.