United States authorities say that millions of dollars, tucked away by senior citizens for their retirement, are now ending up in the pockets of Jamaican crime syndicates.

“It is a plague...when word-of-mouth spreads of free money, there is no way to put it out”.

... lottery frauds, based in Jamaica, have exploded in popularity, with estimates that as much as US$300 million will be bilked from US residents, largely the elderly, this year alone.

...proceeds from the alleged swindles are used to buy guns, drugs and flashy cars in Jamaica, with gang members sometimes fighting and dying over the illicit cash.

...during this month alone, he received separate complaints involving senior citizens in Fort Lauderdale and Aventura, who each lost more than US$50,000 to Jamaican-based lottery scams.

Authorities say victims of the frauds have lost homes, maxed out their credit cards and sometimes become targets of physical threats.

Law enforcement officials say there is a simple rule to remember when it comes to phone calls or mailings involving lotteries.
“If someone tells you that you have won a bunch of money, and they need you to pay any money for any reason, it's a fraud...

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