Old woman conned out of life savings

An elderly woman said that she lost all of her life savings, $358,000 on Wednesday when a man led her to believe that she was helping him to collect money from his mother overseas scammed her.

Ms Brown*, 73, cut a dejected figure as she and one of her grandnieces reported the matter to the Elletson Road Police Station in east Kingston. The senior citizen told THE WEEKEND STAR that she did not realise until it was too late that she was being scammed by the man who she said was aided and abetted by an accomplice claiming to be a pastor.

She told the news team that while she was conducting business in the Constant Spring area of St Andrew that morning, a man approached her asking her for some assistance. She alleged that the man told her that he could not read and write and that he needed someone to help him fill out a form at the bank in order collect PS20,000 (approximately $3.8 million) that his mother had sent him from England.

Ms Brown said that the man told her that she needed to withdraw the money from her account and give him before she could claim the money he promised her. She did not say how much she was promised or what explanation the man gave as to how withdrawing her own money would help him get his cash. She said that she entered a motor car with the man and the 'pastor', and went home for her bank documents and other cash. After arriving at a bank in New Kingston, Ms Brown said she withdrew $300,000 to add to the J$35,000 and US$150 she brought with her and gave it to the men. On their way to another location, Ms Brown said the men stopped along a roadway and the alleged pastor instructed the other man to bring the money with him and place it under a tree with stones surrounding it. The woman said the pastor later told her to get out of the car and wait as he was going to the tree to 'bless' the money. Ms Brown said she became suspicious after five minutes had passed.

But when she walked to the location, the men and the money were missing. She went home crying and alerted her family who took her to the station to make a report to the police who have since commenced an investigation. A relative of Ms Brown told our news team that the senior citizen was saving up the money to cover her own funeral expenses when she passes away.

*Name changed to protect identity