MONTEGO BAY, St James — The Major Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) yesterday launched Stop Lottery Scamming in four schools in Montego Bay inner-city communities, an initiative aimed at discouraging students from becoming involved in lottery scamming activities.

The seven-week long drive, which was launched in Salt Spring Primary, Glendevon Primary and Junior High School, Green Pond Primary and Albion Primary and Junior High, will continue in Granville Primary, Flanker Primary and Mount Salem Primary, next week.

According to Corporal Kevin Watson of MOCA, during the planned two-month campaign, secondary schools, community colleges and parent teacher’s bodies will eventually be targeted.

“This is really an intervention or a proactive approach that we are using to curb lottery scamming, through social development. Because if we can get children to understand that lottery scamming is wrong and that it is a crime, then we will be starting a change,” Watson told members of the media yesterday.

“We are going to break this transition where lottery scamming is now moving from a socio- economic problem, to a cultural one. And we have to start it in the schools and that is why we are doing this lottery scamming campaign. Its an approach that we believe will work to break lottery scam.”

He revealed that MOCA is in possession of information that students are being lured into the illegal activity.

“We have had reports of children involving in lottery scamming whether directly or indirectly because of socialisation, of association, coming from homes where persons are involved in lottery scamming and we see where this is seriously affecting, especially in Area One.

The parishes that form Area One are: St James, Westmoreland, Hanover and Trelawny.

Earlier this year, a 10-year-old girl, whose parents were among nine people arrested in the inner-city Rose Heights community for breaches of the Law Reform Fraudulent Transaction (Special Provisions Act 2013), was placed into the care of family members by members of a MOCA team.

At the time the police reported that the minor was found with a laptop computer in a knapsack, containing identity information of persons living overseas.

Meanwhile, yesterday, Deputy Superintendent Ainsley McCarthy Area One CSSB noted that, “arresting for lotto scam alone won’t work”.

“We understand the socioeconomic climate of the communities such as the ones we are targeting today (yesterday) and we realise that if we start early by educating the students it will make a world of difference. Because when we arrest persons it also puts a burden on the system. That is what we want to eliminate so we want to cut it out before it spreads any further,” DSP McCarthy argued.

He was satisfied with the reception that the police team got during their visit to the schools yesterday.

“The schools overall have been very receptive and we want to say thanks to the principals and teachers at the schools for allowing us the opportunity to come in and educate the students,” stated the senior cop.

Meanwhile, Principal of Salt Spring Primary Tricia McKenzie welcomed the drive.

“I think the initiative is a good one. I know nowadays it is important for us to inform and educate as it relates to criminal activities and the negative impact that it not only have on themselves [students], but the community,” McKenzie said.

Meanwhile, Suzan Simms, principal of the Glendevon Primary and Junior High School also welcomed the campaign.

“As an educator, as a Jamaican citizen and as a leader- I have to join with the Jamaican police and say that anything that is illegal should not be prevalent in this country, anything that is illegal should be stopped. Scamming is illegal so Glendevon Primary and Junior High say no to scamming,” Simms said.

Corporal Kevin Watson (left) and students of the Salt Spring Primary School listen to Constable Hilette Virgo of Area One CSSB during her presentation at the launch of Stop Lottery Scamming at the school, yesterday.