KINGSTON, Jamaica — A man from the Corporate Area testified at the Kingston St. Andrew Parish Court after reportedly being scammed out of thousands of dollars through an online work-and-travel program promising steady employment abroad.
The man recounted receiving a call from a program representative recruiting individuals for overseas work. Initially hesitant due to a lack of references, he was persuaded after a follow-up call and a discussion with his mother. Convinced of the program’s legitimacy, he followed instructions to transfer money to a specific individual.
“I told my mother that this person seemed genuine and it didn’t seem like a scam. My mother said if she thought it was a good opportunity then she should give it a go, so she transferred the money,” the plaintiff stated in court. However, when the promised job did not materialize, he contacted his bank, which connected him with the person who had received the money. The recipient appeared in court and denied all charges.
Senior District Judge Sancha Burrell, visibly frustrated after handling numerous similar cases, called for increased public awareness campaigns on fraud. She stressed the importance of distinguishing between criminal activities and legitimate businesses to prevent such scams.
“Is it that easy to get money from people? There needs to be public awareness on this issue from the police side. The same issue is happening every day in this court. People are just sending their money to others. This is sheer madness,” Judge Burrell said.
“The days of being attacked with a knife or a gun on Half-Way Tree Road and being asked to hand over money are over. Now you are attacked online. Don’t let it be so easy,” she added.
Despite the complainants admitting they had never met their correspondents, Judge Burrell acknowledged the harsh reality that victims often never recover their money due to the challenges prosecutors face in building such cases.
“Nevertheless, we will do our best to give you justice, otherwise people will start judging these cases on the streets. We know what that’s like. But when you blindly send funds, it makes it very difficult to prosecute these cases,” Judge Burrell emphasized.
The case was set aside for trial, granting the court additional time to gather evidence.
