Murder and extreme violence are at crisis levels in Montego
Bay. Montego Bay is also the birthplace and centre of the lottery
scamming industry and its offshoots, an industry that generates
millions of US dollars a year, and is thought to be connected
to the high murder and shooting rates in St. James. This study
considered the purported nexus between lottery scamming,
gangs, and the high murder rate in St. James by situating St.
James’ violence problem in its socio-economic context, and
reviewed the measures that have been taken over the past decade
to tackle both problems.
The birth and growth of scamming are a result of a confluence
of factors: enabling technology, extant criminal entrepreneurial
systems, foundations laid by decades of political violence,
high societal tolerance for criminality and violence, and an
environment of material scarcity. It has flourished because of
the poor social conditions, the inefficacy of law enforcement
and the justice system, the lack of legal income-earning
opportunities, and the large amounts of money that can be easily
“earned.” The scamming enterprise itself may be incidental to
the embeddedness of the corruption, criminality, and violence
that characterize St. James and its environs; another criminal
enterprise could supplant scamming, with similar effects, just as scamming supplanted the illegal drug trade.
STAGE 1
Inception |
STAGE 2
Dissemination |
STAGE 3
Deliberation |
STAGE 4
Implementation |
STAGE 5
Impact |
![]() CAPRI Explores Scamming, Gangs and Violence in Montego BayLottery scamming as lucrative as it may seem, comes with the peril violence as any other illicit activity. In Montego Bay, murder and extreme violence are at crisis levels. The city is also the birthplace ..... Read more![]() |
![]() CAPRI Launches Study on Scamming, Gangs and Violence in Montego BayMontego Bay is the birthplace and centre of the lottery scamming industry and its offshoots, an industry that generates millions of U.S. dollars a year, and is thought to be connected to the high murder ..... Read more![]() |
![]() CAPRI Hosts Review Meeting with Key Stakeholders for its Research on Scamming, Gangs and Violence in Montego BayOn May 29, 2019, CAPRI in partnership with the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) held a review meeting for its research on scamming, gangs and violence in Montego Bay. Representatives ..... Read more![]() |
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Lottery scamming as lucrative as it may seem, comes with the peril violence as any other illicit activity. In Montego Bay, murder and extreme violence are at crisis levels. The city is also the birthplace and centre of the lottery scamming industry and its offshoots, an industry that generates millions .....
Read moreMontego Bay is the birthplace and centre of the lottery scamming industry and its offshoots, an industry that generates millions of U.S. dollars a year, and is thought to be connected to the high murder and shooting rates in St. James. CAPRI launched its study on Scamming, Gangs and Violence in Montego .....
Read moreOn May 29, 2019, CAPRI in partnership with the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) held a review meeting for its research on scamming, gangs and violence in Montego Bay. Representatives from DFID, Professor Anthony Harriott - ICJS, Mr. Mark Shields - Shields Crime & Security .....
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