LOTTO SCAM CASE GOES TO CICRUIT

The first Lotto Scam case in St Ann was transferred to the St Ann Circuit Court when it came up in the St Ann’s Bay RM court last week.Charged for breaching the Law Reform Fraudulent Transactions Special Provisions Act, better know n as the Lotto Scam Law is  21-year old Marlon Colquhoan of Orange Hill, Westmoreland.  Hill was remanded until Wednesday, February 19, when the case will be mentioned in the St Ann Circuit Court that has  jurisdiction in such matters.Colquhoan appeared in court on Friday, February 14 before senior RM Andrea Thomas. Allegations are that on Monday, January 27, Colquhoan was held during a raid in Cardiff Hall in Runaway Bay St Ann where documents containing identity information of persons living overseas were allegedly found in his possession. He was arrested and charged for possession of identity information. Colquhoan is being represented by attorney-at-law, Linton Gordon.In court on Friday, Mr. Gordon questioned why his client was the only one held in the raid. The attorney claimed, Colquhoan girlfriend was also at the house and was not held in connection with the find.Two weeks ago, in reporting the raid and arrest, The Times without naming the suspect, reported police as stating that this was the first case of alleged Lotto scamming in St Ann. The crime is widespread in western Jamaica, having spread from its epicenter in Montego Bay, St James to other parishes. Lotto Scamming involves the fleecing of residents, mainly senior citizens, of North America out of large amounts of cash, through trick   by getting them to believe they have won a lottery prize and the benefits will come to them by sending money to process their winnings. Those residents never get any money and often realize they have been  defrauded only after sending to the scammers large amounts of US dollars.