Deceptive Lottery Aimed at Seniors Results in Confession of Wrongdoer
A deceptive lottery scheme that left elderly victims without their hard-earned money after hundreds of thousands of dollars has resulted in the guilty plea of one of the main perpetrators.
Antony Linton Stewart, a 39-year-old man from St. James Parish, Jamaica, has admitted to participating in a conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, according to federal prosecutors in North Carolina.
Stewart contacted senior citizens and informed them that they had just won substantial sums of money and other prizes in a lottery. However, in order to collect their winnings or prizes, victims were persuaded to pay fees and taxes.
Eager to claim their winnings, the victims transferred money through bank wires and the U.S. Postal Service to those involved in the scheme, which included participants in both the U.S. and Jamaica. In turn, the collected money was sent to Stewart.
As the scam was uncovered and examined, investigators discovered there was no such lottery. Neither cash awards nor prizes were given out by the fraudulent plan.
One of Many Similar Frauds
This scheme is just another case of a widespread fraud targeting the elderly that authorities have been looking into.
"The Department of Justice's Consumer Protection Branch is dedicated to investigating fraudulent schemes targeting elderly Americans, regardless of where these schemes originate," said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, in charge of the Justice Department's Civil Division. "Stewart is the latest example in our ongoing efforts to root out and deter fraud from foreign locations, preventing it from targeting the vulnerable population."
U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina Dena J. King added that annually, millions of senior citizens fall victim to scammers operating in the U.S. and abroad.
"Today's guilty plea exemplifies our commitment to uncover and prosecute perpetrators of elder fraud schemes, no matter where they originated," King said. "We will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to prevent these criminals from exploiting our seniors."
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) also played a part in the investigation, and the DOJ's Office of International Affairs collaborated with authorities in Jamaica to apprehend and extradite Stewart.
Reporting Fraud
If someone aged 60 or older has become a victim of financial fraud, they can report the incident to the DOJ's National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).
The hotline's agents will listen to the details, explain reporting procedures, redirect callers to the appropriate agencies, and provide additional resources.
The hotline is operational every day, from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. EST.
The staff on the hotline speaks English, Spanish, and other languages.
Beware of Impersonators
A new scam has been discovered where callers falsely claim to work for the National Elder Fraud Hotline or the DOJ, threatening to file lawsuits against individuals who receive these calls.
On some occasions, the caller may request personal information or demand money payments.
The DOJ advises the elderly and the general public not to provide Social Security numbers or send money to anyone who gets one of these calls.
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Source: www.casino.org
