Rampant fraud hits Ja

Erica Virtue, Staff Reporter

The police's Fraud Squad has its hands full trying to unravel the massive increase in fraud cases that has hit Jamaica, involving close to $200 million since the start of the year.

Cases of fraud involving Jamaican dollars have increased by more than 500 per cent in the first quarter of 2000 compared to the same period last year.

Between January and March 1999, the police say, they uncovered fraud involving more than $37 million. However, between January and March 2000, the figure had jumped to more than $190 million.

According to the head of the police Fraud Squad, Deputy Superintendent Errol Samuels, there were more cases in the first quarter of 1999, but they involved far less cash.

In the first quarter of 1999, he said on Friday, there were 197 cases involving $37,062,257. That figure does not include cases involving US$210,800 and 4,000 pounds sterling.

However, there were 126 cases of fraud in the first quarter of this year totalling $190,134,290.

So far this year, the police claimed to have cleared up 52 or 41 per cent of the fraud cases investigated. There was a clear-up rate of 63.4 per cent or 127 cases in 1999.

However, the police have noticed a worrying trend.

"Persons are using false titles to obtain ownership of lands," Mr. Samuels said. "This is an area that is of great concern to us as in some instances, persons act in collaboration with other relatives to carry out this illegal act."

In some instances, properties are sold illegally, he said, and several cases are currently before the court. He also said that in a majority of the cases, the fraud involved properties with houses.

Meanwhile, The Sunday Gleaner understands that banks are stepping up their efforts to prevent fraud which has been plaguing them for some time. At least one is reportedly asking for more than one piece of identification from persons cashing cheques.

However, it could not be ascertained last week if this is a position taken at the level of the Jamaica Bankers Association as the telephones at that office rang unanswered.

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