Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer
( left ) Ramsay-Nelson: Last week, a person called me ... She said she was Supt. Ramsay, and I said 'No, I am Supt. Ramsay', and the person hung up. - PHOTOS BY RUDOLPH BROWN/CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
THE COPS remain baffled as to the identity of a female con artist who has reportedly been impersonating senior high-ranking female members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), in order to dupe unsuspecting members of the public.
The 'phony cop' scam, which was first reported two weeks ago, has, according to anecdotal reports, already bilked the public of undetermined sums of cash, and in a latest development, a motor vehicle.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Novelette Grant, one of the officers being impersonated, revealed that the cop impersonator had been active for the past two months. She was speaking at a Gleaner Editors' Forum on crime, at the newspaper's North Street offices in central Kingston.
PART OF SCAM RING
ACP Grant was almost teary-eyed with frustration during the forum as she had recently got word that "a man had lost a motor vehicle out of the whole communication with the woman." The imposter used ACP Grant's name to win the confidence of the man, got him to leave his motor car at a particular location, and then relieved him of the vehicle.
The woman is believed to be part of a scam perpetrated by a group of persons working out of St. Mary and St. Ann. Posing as high-profile cops in dire need of financial assistance, they have been able to bamboozle a number of individuals.
"We have been doing intense investigations in that area and we have suspects in custody, and information has led the police to believe that they know who some of these persons (imposters) are," said ACP Grant. "We suspect at this point that it is a male and female working together but the female is the one who makes the telephone calls."
HARD-LUCK STORY
ACP Grant told The Gleaner that a man called her on Wednesday saying he was returning a call from ACP Grant but after a lengthy discussion, it was discovered that he might have been contacted by the imposter. It was subsequently revealed that he had lost his motor vehicle to the scam artists.
According to ACP Grant, the woman has also called police stations, businesses and homes while attempting to impersonate Superintendent Ionie Ramsay-Nelson, the officer in charge of the Constabulary Communication Network (CCN), as well as Deputy Superintendent Hyacinth Wallace.
The modus operandi of the woman often involves a hard-luck story as she solicits financial and other forms of assistance from her 'victims'. But the impersonators do not stop there.
She and her male partner sometimes inform persons that they have ties to the passport and immigration services and can acquire important documents for a price.
"She has a very nice voice that speaks in a way that is geared to get your confidence. It tugs at you that you want to help," ACP Grant said.
One man is already in custody, and the police in St. Ann are aggressively pursuing various leads as to the identities of the impersonators. It appears that the impersonators are toying with the cops as some of the calls have become more bizarre.
"Last week, a person called me giving instructions to go to Control, she said she was Supt. Ramsay, and I said 'no, I am Supt. Ramsay', and the person hung up," Superintendent Ramsay-Nelson said.
ACP Grant said with the criminals still at large, the public should be weary of calls from people claiming to be well-known persons seeking money or other forms of assistance. "I impress on people to be very, very careful how you give out personal identification, even if they call and say they are the Pope, don't take their word for it," she said.
