Thursday, August 26, 2010

The Other Cash Cab

As many of you know there is a program on the Discovery Channel called Cash Cab, an innovative production wherein passengers become contestants in a mobile quiz show. Sadly, there are other "cash cabs" making the rounds, that you should know about.

Specifically, I am talking about cab services engaged by Jamaican con artists to help them maintain contact with victims whose lines of communication have been severed by concerned family members.

As the guardian of a fraud victim embroiled in a Sweepstakes scam for over three years, I thought I had seen every trick in the book. Every trick, that is, until I learned about this ruse from DIDS and Joolz, whose testimonials inspired me to search for accounts of other "cash cabs" on the web, such as this one.

Knowing what I know now, the question is: What to do about it?

For my part, I am going to warn every cab company where I live, about this scheme.

What are you gonna do?

Thursday, April 8, 2010

What's In A Name?

Not much - imagination, that is.

In my experience, Jamaican fraudsters display a lack of originality and a boring consistency in the aliases they use, which feature mostly common English and Spanish surnames.

As proof, I offer a sampling of the monikers employed by the scammers who ripped off my dad:
  • Roger Richards
  • Roger Roberts
  • Claude Jones
  • Jay Johnson
  • Tony McGregor
  • Robert Tyler
  • Mr. Brown
  • Mr. Washington
  • Mr. Johnson
  • James White
  • Bob Bradshaw
  • Alberto Perez
  • Charlie Anderson
  • Anthony Garcia
  • Omar Smith
  • Michelle Moore
  • Paul Robinson
  • Mark Ashley
  • Pat Hilton
  • Kevin Bailey
  • Mrs. Anderson
  • Earl Hickman
  • John McKnight
  • Mr. Fisher
  • Marv Turner
  • Victor Martinez
  • John Fernandez
  • John Mills
  • Trisha Moore
Begrudgingly, I must concede creativity points to the crook who dubbed himself "Anton Ego" after the surly food critic in the animated film Ratatouille. Knowing full well my father had no clue who Anton was, by using his name the con man was basically giving my dad The Finger.

Given such cynical gestures, can there be any doubt how ruthless these criminals are?