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Jamaica

Email scams and frauds that are associated with Jamaica.

Mrs. Cedella Kevaughn Watson (scam alert)

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This is a classic (and rather primitive) example of the dying-widow cancer-patient scam. “Cedella Watson” hasn’t got very long to live, and she needs your help in disposing of her fortune (even though you’ve never heard of her). And why would the widow of a Jamaican ambassador to Africa be writing to you anyway? (And writing from a free email address in India?)

Subject: Volunteer found after missing more than 24 hours
From: cedellak@yahoo.in
Reply-To: cedellak@yahoo.in
Date: Tue, 26 May 2015

MY NAME IS MRS. CEDELLA KEVAUGHN WATSON,. WIFE OF LATE AMBASSADOR OF JAMAICA TO IVORY COAST, PLEASE I WANT YOU TO REPLY ME BACK AS SOON AS YOU READ THIS MESSAGE BECAUSE I WANT TO DISCUSS SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT WITH YOU, I AM A CANCER PATIENT WITH A VERY SHORT TIME TO LIVE AND I AM CONTACTING YOU BECAUSE I WANT TO ENTRUST THE SUM OF (USD$12.7MILLION) TO YOUR HAND AS A DONATION FOR CHARITY WORK., TO HELP THE ORPHANAGES, WIDOWS, AND MOTHERLESS CHILDREN AROUND YOU, THIS MONEY WAS DEPOSITED BY MY LATE HUSBAND IN ONE OF THE SECURITY COMPANY HERE IN ABIDJAN AND OUR PLAN WAS TO USE IT FOR INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT BEFORE THE DEATH OF MY HUSBAND,, I AM WAITING YOUR URGENT REPLY FOR MORE INSTRUCTION AND INFORMATION ABOUT THIS FUND, REGARDS, MRS.CEDELLA KEVAUGHN WATSON

“Mrs. Watson” is a scammer of course, and once she succeeds in picking your pocket you’ll never hear from her again.

Email Scams Work!

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People sometimes wonder why so many scam messages from deposed dictators and corrupt bank presidents continue to appear in their mailboxes. Surely these are such transparent frauds that no one could be taken in by them.

But people are taken in. The only reason the messages keep coming is that sometimes they work.

A news report from Cedarpines Park, California, this week tells of a woman who was successfully scammed by someone from Jamaica who told her she had won $1.5 million:

The fraud continued for approximately two months, according to records obtained from Twin Peaks detectives, before the woman realized she had been scammed.

The case documents show the woman sent about $30,000 before she contacted deputies. She turned over some evidence in the case, including a check for $5,000 sent by the male caller who reportedly made numerous phone contacts with the woman.

It went on for two months!  The cost of sending junk email is close to zero. It doesn’t take many “hits” that bring in $30,000 to make the effort very worthwhile for the fraudsters.