In Jamaica, scamming can be no doubt placed in the top ten highest paying jobs. The way it has been publicized, it has now been considered as a career that children wants to pursue. Children are encapsulated by the type of life that scammers live, the big house, the nice car and the lavish lifestyle have consumed them. When we take a look at print and online media sources, time and time again we read that scammers have been caught and investigations are ongoing. A few have been convicted and some are still doing their thing. The question I want to ask is what do we think of scamming?
A dictionary definition tells us that a scam is fraudulent
scheme, especially for making a quick profit. I will not explore the reasons
why people scam because that is, I think, self-explanatory. I am not so fully
knowledgeable of how the scamming thing works entirely, but the little I know
should be able to capture the essence of where I am going. Now, a scam works by
tricking people of their money and in return promise them goods or service which
could be in form of a prize or something tangible that is of worth. A scammer
will call persons and convince them that they have won millions of dollars in
cash and prizes, but in order to claim it, they have to pay a ‘processing fee’.
After they send that money to whoever, they receive nothing and never hear from
that person again. How would you feel?
Considering other things like Ponzi schemes such as cash
plus and Olint. Those ventures caused persons to lose a woefully and it
affected many lives. Even today people still have not recovered from those
schemes. Today people are finding creative ways to scam people, even their own.
A Ponzi scheme is an investment fraud that involves the payment of
purported returns to existing investors from funds contributed by new
investors. Ponzi scheme organizers often solicit new investors by
promising to invest funds in opportunities claimed to generate high returns
with little or no risk. It is a carefully orchestrated financial scam that is
completely illegal.
How is it that Ponzi schemes were able to, and can still
flourish in Jamaica? Hear what Delano Franklyn had to say “First, known and
reputable persons and institutions were involved. A list of the names of the
institutions and persons published by the FSC indicates that even persons who
propagate the highest form of ethics and moral values in the society were
involved in the collection of funds, some of whom are now on the run from
people who are demanding repayment.
“Second, the high level of informality which exists in the
Jamaica economy. Studies have shown that the size of the informal economy in
Jamaica is almost 50 per cent. This informal economy is characterised by a
'hussle' mentality. It operates above, around and under the regulated economy.
Its culture is one of anti-regulation. It settles its own scores where there
are differences. It is not class or social specific. All types are involved,
the rich, the poor, the social, the anti-social and big and small businesses.
“Third, the existence of selective morality and ethical
values in the country. The owner of a business in Jamaica has no difficulty
conspiring with another to extract electricity from the Jamaica Public Service,
but rightly, calls in the police if an employee is caught stealing; a provider
of professional services has no difficulty operating two books in order to
avoid the payment of taxes, but complains bitterly about the irregularity with which
his garbage is being collected; and there are persons among us who have no
respect for planning or building laws. They build anything, anywhere.” (Jamaica
Observer, April 25, 2012)
Having considered the whole notion of scamming and Ponzi schemes,
I have been considering the question, is politics the biggest Ponzi scheme and
politicians the biggest scammers? Look at it, politicians promise to do this
and that and in the end, collect a big pay check and do nothing for the people.
Look at how the government works, it collects people tax money, yet they do
nothing for them in return. At the end of the day the people are scammed out of
their hard earned money. Which politician doesn’t own a big house or drive a
decent car? Which politician know how it feels to can’t find food to eat? The poor is getting the worst end of the bargain.
On April 30, 2014, the Jamaica Observer carried the headline “PM promises over 21,000 jobs in 2014/15”. The article stated “The prime minister, who was speaking in the Budget Debate in the House of Representatives, explained that close to 80 per cent of the jobs will be created under the Government's minimum wage emergency works scheme, the Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme (JEEP), and its rural food production-boosting agro parks development programme.” Did that actually came to fruition? Were 21,000 jobs issued? Is politics one big Ponzi scheme? What say you? +Mario Boothe
On April 30, 2014, the Jamaica Observer carried the headline “PM promises over 21,000 jobs in 2014/15”. The article stated “The prime minister, who was speaking in the Budget Debate in the House of Representatives, explained that close to 80 per cent of the jobs will be created under the Government's minimum wage emergency works scheme, the Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme (JEEP), and its rural food production-boosting agro parks development programme.” Did that actually came to fruition? Were 21,000 jobs issued? Is politics one big Ponzi scheme? What say you? +Mario Boothe
