Stemming The Flow

Given the limitations of what law enforcement officials can do, more than any other entity the major money transfer services are by far in the best position to deter Sweepstakes scams.

That is why I am mounting a campaign to get Western Union and MoneyGram to cease transmitting funds from the U.S. to Jamaica. If they want to allow Jamaicans to wire cash to America, that's fine with me. Lord knows they've taken enough out. Let them put something back.

While my expectations are low, it will be interesting to see how the Big Two respond. I can already hear their excuses for declining:

EXCUSE #1: "WE CAN'T"
No explanation offered, or provided upon request.

EXCUSE #2: "IT WOULD BE UNFAIR TO HONEST JAMAICANS"
Of course it would. But it would be eminently fair to millions of elderly Americans targeted by island slimeballs. Besides: Chances are good that the bulk of money transfers to Jamaica are crime-related, something I suspect federal officials and the transfer services know all too well. So what are we really talking about?

EXCUSE #3: "WE'LL LOSE MONEY"
Yes you will, but comparatively little, and your hands - and public image - will be cleaner for foregoing the dirty kind.

EXCUSE #4: "IF WE DON'T DO IT, SOMEBODY ELSE WILL"
Probably so. But whoever does won't have thousands of retail outlets nationwide, which will make it inconvenient for victims to send money to the Caribbean. And "somebody else will do it anyway" is not, and never has been, a valid reason for enabling criminals.

EXCUSE #5: "WE CANNOT DISCRIMINATE"
Right. We're not asking the wire services to discriminate against Jamaican-Americans, or some other subgroup of the population: We're asking them to stop conveying funds to a notorious hotbed of thievery, something they have every right - and perhaps a moral obligation - to do.

Western Union and MoneyGram are, by all accounts, reputable companies that provide essential services to multitudes of decent, hard-working folks.

As reputable firms, it is time for them to do the right thing and shut down the Jamaican pipeline.