--- title: 4 Warning Signs of a Jamaican Lottery Scam and its Victim description: Most of us can say that we have a pretty good sense of judgement when it comes to avoiding being duped into some crazy scheme, but can you say that for everyone you know? Some people will do just about anything for human contact, image: https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/JamaicanScam1-620x420.png --- [![Hiya logo](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/hiya-new-purple.svg)](https://www.hiya.com/) Solutions Solutions [For Mobile Operators Protect your network](https://www.hiya.com/solutions/operators) [For Businesses Brand your calls](https://www.hiya.com/solutions/businesses) [For People Get the mobile app](https://www.hiya.com/products/apps/hiya-spam-blocker) ###### Webinar Branded Calling 101 Weekly Webinar Make your company's calls more recognizable. Learn how Hiya can drive value for your business. 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Some people will do just about anything for human contact, even if that means associating themselves with a scammer without even realizing it. A scam that’s been around since the 90s, the Jamaican Lottery Scam, similar to the [Lucky Winner Scam](https://blog.hiya.com/detect-lucky-winner-scam-become-loser/?hsLang=en), is a shameless scam, sometimes targeting the elderly, that tricks consumers into believing they’ve won a sweepstake (i.e. [Publishers Clearing House](https://blog.hiya.com/since-when-did-pch-start-calling-versus-knocking/?hsLang=en), Winners International, Mega Millions). **Warning Sign 1: Upfront Fees** Once a scammer has reeled in a victim, they inform them that they can redeem their winnings as long as they pay a few upfront taxes or fees. No biggie, right? Think again. **Warning Sign 2: Constant Calls** After the victim has sent or wired the initial fees, the calls start coming in. One tactic scammers use to build trust and fulfill their requests is by building a personal relationship with their victims. They will continue to call, informing them that each payment is not enough, they’ve misplaced the check, or they never received the wired payment. They continue requesting considerable amounts before the victim can receive their winnings, and, in some instances, threaten the victim with violence if they do not pay or decide to “share their situation” with loved ones. **Warning Sign 3: Major Loss** As the victim pulls out large sums of money, they don’t realize that they are close to losing all their savings or retirement. The feds call this “being under the ether,” which is when a victim is willing to do almost anything to receive their prize. **Warning Sign 4: Family Intervention** Family members may notice their loved one’s strange behavior or unexpected banks transactions. If they are lucky, family members could be contacted by the victim’s financial establishment before it’s too late. After thousands of dollars have already been sent, families take action and attempt to freeze bank accounts and cut phone services. **Tips to Avoid the Jamaican Lottery Scam** Before you or a loved one gets roped into this scam, here are a few ways to educate yourself and those close to you on how to avoid becoming a victim: **• Scamming’s their name, spoofing’s the game** Research has shown that a number of Jamaican Lottery Scams originate from area code 876. However, scammers have caught on to this giveaway. They are now spoofing different area codes, thereby increasing the likelihood of potential victims to pick up as they assume the call is local. **•If you didn’t enter, you didn’t win** If you or a loved one question whether or not you entered a lottery, that you have supposedly won, it’s a sure sign that you did not. Hang up immediately! **•You don’t pay for prizes** First things first, if ever a caller requests upfront payment of fees, do not give them any personal or financial information. Legitimate lotteries will never ask winners to pay fees before they receive their prize. **•Keeping a secret** Who wouldn’t want to share the amazing news that you’ve won such an amazing prize? I would, but the Jamaican Lottery scammer doesn’t want you to share the good news until you’ve received your prize, which is NEVER! Be sure to inform your loved ones of these types of scams and why they should be skeptical about such requests. For a more in-depth look into the Jamaican Lottery Scam, check out this extensive report by CNBC by clicking the video below:   [![banner-hiya-reg](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/banner-hiya-reg.jpg)](https://www.hiya.com/products/connect/number-registration) ### Latest Articles ⚡️ - Hiya awarded 16 G2 Summer 2026 badges for branded caller ID Lena Prickett Jul. 9, 2026 - How Canada is leading the fight to stop bank scams Stephanie Boulanger Jun. 26, 2026 - How to check phone numbers for spam labels Michelle Wallace Jun. 9, 2026 ## Related articles ![](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/rogers-toronto-event-blog-hero.webp) ## [How Canada is leading the fight to stop bank scams](https://blog.hiya.com/how-canada-is-leading-the-fight-to-stop-bank-scams?hsLang=en) Stephanie Boulanger Jun. 26, 2026 ![](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/Blog_How-to-check-phone-numbers-for-spam-labels_B.webp) ## [How to check phone numbers for spam labels](https://blog.hiya.com/how-to-check-phone-numbers-for-spam-labels?hsLang=en) Michelle Wallace Jun. 9, 2026 ![](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/Hiya%20x%20DNA-blog@2x.webp) ## [Hiya and DNA Finland launch network-level call protection](https://blog.hiya.com/hiya-and-dna-finland-launch-network-level-call-protection?hsLang=en) Stephanie Boulanger Jun. 2, 2026 [![](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/hiya-new-purple.svg)](https://www.hiya.com/) [![](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/linkedin-1.svg)](https://www.linkedin.com/company/hiyainc) [![](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/facebook-1.svg)](https://www.facebook.com/hiyainc/) ###### Products - Connect - [Number Registration](https://www.hiya.com/products/connect/number-registration) - [Branded Call](https://www.hiya.com/products/connect/branded-call) - [View Plans](https://www.hiya.com/products/connect/pricing) - Protect - [Spam Analytics](https://www.hiya.com/products/protect/spam-analytics) - [AI Voice Detection](https://www.hiya.com/products/protect/ai-voice-detection) - Apps - [Hiya Spam Blocker](https://www.hiya.com/products/apps/hiya-spam-blocker) - [Hiya AI Phone](https://www.hiya.com/products/apps/hiya-ai-phone) ###### Solutions - Company size - [Enterprise](https://www.hiya.com/solutions/enterprise) - [Call Centers](https://www.hiya.com/solutions/call-center) - [Small and Medium](https://www.hiya.com/solutions/businesses) - Service providers - [Operators](https://www.hiya.com/solutions/operators) - [OEMs and technology](https://www.hiya.com/solutions/technology-partners) ###### Considering Hiya? - [Why Hiya](https://www.hiya.com/why-hiya) - [How it Works](https://www.hiya.com/how-it-works) - [Customer Stories](https://www.hiya.com/case-studies) - [Voice Intelligence Platform](https://www.hiya.com/why-hiya/voice-intelligence-platform) - [Trust Center](https://www.hiya.com/why-hiya/trust-center) - [Modern Slavery](https://www.hiya.com/company/modern-slavery) - [About Hiya](https://www.hiya.com/company/about) - [Careers: We're hiring!](https://www.hiya.com/company/careers) - [Contact us](https://www.hiya.com/contact-us) ###### Resources - [Resource Center](https://www.hiya.com/resources) - [Partner Program](https://partners.hiya.com/) - [Get Support](https://hiya.com/support) - [Developer Docs](https://developer.hiya.com/) - [Hiya Blog](https://hiya.com/blog) - [Events](https://www.hiya.com/events) - [Press Kit](https://www.hiya.com/newsroom#press-kit) ![ANAB](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/logo-anab.svg) ![ISO 27001](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/logo-iso27017.png) ![AICPA](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/logo-aicpa.svg) ![IAF](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/logo-iaf.svg) [Privacy Policy](https://www.hiya.com/legal/privacy) [Terms of Service](https://www.hiya.com/legal/terms-of-service) [App Data Privacy Policy](https://www.hiya.com/legal/app-data-protection-and-privacy-policy) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Hiya Team", "url" : "https://blog.hiya.com/author/hiya-team" }, "dateModified" : "2022-09-07T18:57:24.563Z", "datePublished" : "2020-09-20T20:19:50.000Z", "headline" : "4 Warning Signs of a Jamaican Lottery Scam and its Victim", "image" : [ "https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/JamaicanScam1-620x420.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.hiya.com/4-warning-signs-jamaican-lottery-scam/", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/hiya-logo-3.svg" }, "name" : "Hiya Inc." } } ```