Senate to continue debate on new law to combat lottery scam

A debate on legislation to combat advance fee frauds, such as the lottery scam, is to continue in the Upper House this week as the country strengthens efforts to control such illicit activities.

The Law Reform (Fraudulent Transactions) (Special Provisions) Act was passed in the House of Representatives last week but is yet to be passed by the Senate. The Act will be debated on Wednesday.

Minister of Justice, Senator Mark Golding, who is piloting the legislation, says the lottery scam is fostering criminal activity and has been damaging the island’s brand. He adds that it has been threatening the growth of legitimate businesses, and stifling investments, particularly in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector.

The island’s brand took a battering last week as a US Senate Special Committee on Aging harshly criticised Jamaica for failing to do enough to combat the lottery scam, which targets mainly elderly female senior citizens in the US.