MONTEGO BAY, St James — Dominick Riley, United States Postal Service Attaché at that country’s embassy in Kingston, has warned that a number of Jamaican lottery scammers will be extradited to the United States, starting this month.

Riley did not disclose the number of scammers who will be extradited but noted that “there are several in the pipeline”.

“With the way that the extradition laws changed in the summer of last year, extraditions will be picking up. You shall see a lot more extraditions coming in the future,” Riley said.

“You know, of course, that extradition is not an easy thing. It’s not a quick thing [as] it has to go through the proper process, but you will see more in the future.”

At the same time, the American official said Kingston and Washington were discussing the inadequacy of penalties for convicted scammers.

Riley was participating in a panel discussion during the second day of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s two-day security summit at the Montego Bay Convention Centre.

Riley noted that although lottery scamming is now widespread across Jamaica, Montego Bay remains the epicentre of the illegal activity.

“Montego Bay is probably by far still the leader in scamming, but it’s definitely grown across the island. I’ve been here long enough now to see that it’s not only in Montego Bay, but in just about every other parish on island,” he said.

“We have not lost this war but we are definitely in for a fight,” he declared.

Riley argued that while “the victims in the United States are real and are suffering immensely” the “average everyday Jamaican is a victim as well”.

He added: “Not in the sense that they have lost their life savings, house, car, or other material things. Scamming not only impacts those who participate and directly profit from it, but those who are associated with it. The Jamaican victims live in fear of retribution from the violence that scamming funds brings to their doorsteps.”

“Family members of scammers have been killed as a result of the rival scammers not being able to directly confront their enemies.

“The influx of illicit funds that scammers rake in contribute to violence that you see in your communities today. The Jamaican victims are engulfed in violence and the informer fi dead culture. The Jamaican victims often know who the scammers are but are afraid to speak out for fear of retaliation. The Jamaican victim is the family that has been living in a community for decades, and suddenly is riddled with violence because someone decided to start scamming in the community. The Jamaican victims are silenced in a Robin Hood fashion with money,” said Riley.

“Lottery scamming or the money game is smearing the country’s reputation internationally. The victim is also the country’s reputation and good name,” Riley said.

He added: “Lottery scamming and its impact on crime and violence is great, but not irreversible. We have to all work together to stop this crime, eliminate the proceeds and bring the perpetrators to justice.”

Riley equated lottery scamming to the illicit drug trade in the 1990s when drug dealers “would start to legitimise themselves and go into private businesses”.