Dear Editor,

The Gleaner, on March 30, 2024, published a letter to the editor headlined ‘Are people turning to scamming out of desperation?’ written by Abigail Edwards. The writer wrote, inter alia, “Further, the lack of viable alternatives and support may lead some down the path of scamming — a desperate measure born out of necessity.”

As one who regularly speaks on radio talk shows on issues relating to crime, national security, and the deadly lottery scamming, I am morally compelled to respond to The Gleaner letter in your newspaper.

It is the engrained, all-pervasive, and intrinsic get-rich-quick mentality that has directly caused the majority of people to get involved in the disgraceful, reprehensible, and appalling crime of lottery scamming, which is prodigiously destroying this country in a plethora of negative and disgusting ways. Scammers are of the warped and preposterous opinion as well that lottery scamming is a way to extract money from United States citizens as a form of reparation, a most ludicrous and despicable way to think.

The scandalous, disgraceful, and reprehensible mentality and thinking among the youth all across this country is to live above their means, not prepared to work hard over many decades to build honest wealth from honest work.

A recently published article correctly stated that Jamaica’s productivity rate has fallen over the past 40 years.

The mindset of the majority of young people in this country is not to accomplish and achieve assets and capital through hard, disciplined, and honest work over many years but to engage in the criminal activity of scamming innocent people from across the world, mainly the US, which is a national disgrace, damaging the overall reputation of Jamaica. To put it bluntly, as I recently told the irrepressible Dervan Malcolm on his award-winning
Power 106 FM radio talk show Both Sides of the Story, lottery scammers are lazy, unproductive, and have an inherently corrupt and depraved mentality, taking pride and pleasure in conning people out of their hard-earned money.

That is why it is imperative that the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Lottery Scam Task Force begins once again to visit public schools to comprehensively inform young students of the dangers of getting involved in lottery scamming. Commissioner of Police Kevin Blake should ensure that this is done.

Lottery scamming and cyber crimes are out of control, and a huge and substantial amount of funding is now required to enable law enforcement to surgically go after the lottery scammers, who are operating with impunity across western Jamaica, Montego Bay in particular.

Widespread, sustained police and army action is required forthwith, Commissioner Blake and National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang.

Robert Dalley

robertdalleyr@gmail.com