KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) issued an “urgent advisory” to the public on Monday regarding what it described as a fraudulent scheme targeting individuals who have sold or are planning to sell their motor vehicles.
In a statement, the JCF said criminals are reportedly contacting vehicle sellers by phone, pretending to be police officers, and claiming the vehicles they sold are stolen property.
“ Under the pretense of helping the sellers avoid prosecution or reimbursing the supposed buyer, these scammers demand immediate cash payments from the sellers. Additionally, the scammers enlist unsuspecting ride-share drivers to collect cash from victims and transport the funds to various drop-off locations,” the JCF said.
It is urging citizens to remain vigilant and follow safety guidelines, including “under no circumstances should you pay money to individuals making such demands over the phone” and remembering that “no legitimate police operation involves soliciting or collecting money from citizens to settle criminal matters or reimburse third parties”.
The JCF has told members of the public that if they receive a “call of this nature, hang up immediately and report the incident to the nearest police station or Crime Stop at 311.
“We also advise ride-share drivers to be cautious of requests to transport unaccompanied packages, especially those suspected of containing cash, as transporting the proceeds of crime may implicate you in criminal activities.”
Superintendent of Police Victor Barrett of the Counter-Terrorism and Organized Crime Investigations Branch (C-TOC) said the police are actively probing the incidents and urging the public to report them.
“These fraudsters are using fear and urgency to manipulate victims into bypassing their better judgment. We implore the public to refrain from engaging with these individuals if they receive such calls. We are actively looking into these incidents and ask citizens to report them to the police,” said Barrett.
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