SCARSSCARS SCARS - Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. A government registered crime victims' assistance & crime prevention nonprofit organization based in Miami, Florida, U.S.A. SCARS supports the victims of scams worldwide and through its partners in more than 60 countries around the world. Incorporated in 2015, its team has 30 years of continuous experience educating and supporting scam victims. Visit www.AgainstScams.org to learn more about SCARS.™ ScamScam A Scam is a confidence trick - a crime -  is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust through deception. Scams or confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, or greed and exploiting that. Researchers have defined confidence tricks as "a distinctive species of fraudulent conduct ... intending to further voluntary exchanges that are not mutually beneficial", as they "benefit con operators ('con men' - criminals) at the expense of their victims (the 'marks')". A scam is a crime even if no money was lost. & Scamming News: Key Player in Jamaican Lottery ScamLottery Scam These scams involve someone claiming you won a prize. However, they say you must pay a fee or provide sensitive banking information in order to get it. They keep the money, and you get nothing for it. Sentenced to 4 Years

A Federal Judge In North Dakota Has Sentenced A Rhode Island Woman To Four Years In Prison For Funneling Lottery Scam Money Between The U.S. And Jamaica.

Melinda Bulgin

According To The Story From U.S.News & World Report:

A federal judge in North Dakota on Wednesday sentenced a Rhode Island woman to four years in prison for funneling lottery scam money between the U.S. and Jamaica, prompting a prosecutor to question the ruling.

Melinda Bulgin, 29, of Providence, received a sentence that was 10 years less than prosecutors had sought.

U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland said Bulgin’s role in the scam was not on the level of others who received lesser sentences than the 14 years requested by prosecutors, The Bismarck Tribune reported.

“I’m giving you a break. I’m giving you a second chance,” Hovland told Bulgin. “I don’t consider you to be a monster.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan O’Konek called Bulgin’s sentence “unreasonable” and “not a just punishment.” The government has two weeks to appeal.

“She was not just a participant but arguably a major player in this,” O’Konek said, adding that “she ruined people’s lives.”

A jury in September convicted Bulgin of conspiracy, fraudFraud In law, fraud is intentional deception to secure unfair or unlawful gain (money or other assets), or to deprive a victim of a legal right. Fraud can violate civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrator to avoid the fraud or recover monetary compensation) or criminal law (e.g., a fraud perpetrator may be prosecuted and imprisoned by governmental authorities), or it may cause no loss of money, property, or legal right but still be an element of another civil or criminal wrong. The purpose of fraud may be monetary gain or other benefits, for example by obtaining a passport, travel document, or driver's license, or mortgage fraud, where the perpetrator may attempt to qualify for a mortgage by way of false statements. A fraud can also be a hoax, which is a distinct concept that involves deliberate deception without the intention of gain or of materially damaging or depriving a victim. and money launderingMoney laundering Money laundering is the illegal process of concealing the origins of money obtained illegally by passing it through a complex sequence of banking transfers or commercial transactions. Money laundering can be done through various mediums, leveraging a variety of payment vehicles, people and institutions. in a scam that authorities say bilked more than 100 mostly elderly Americans out of more than $6 million. It’s believed to be the first large-scale Jamaican lottery scam tried in the U.S. The scam involved 31 defendants, including 14 Jamaican nationals, most of whom accepted plea deals with the government.

The scam’s alleged kingpin, Lavrick Willocks, was among those who accepted a plea deal. Prosecutors say he ran the scam out of a Jamaica mansion where he lived with his mother. Hovland in October sentenced Willocks to six years, crediting him with cooperating.

Authorities say Bulgin funneled scam proceeds via cheap flights she got through her airline job. She eventually was caught at a Jamaican airport in 2015.

Authorities identified victims in 31 states, including at least one person who committed suicide. The case has been prosecuted in North Dakota because that’s where the initial identified victim lives.

Defense attorney Chad McCabe requested a sentence for Bulgin of time served, about 10 months, but said outside the courtroom he was “satisfied” with the four-year sentence. He, Bulgin, and Bulgin’s parents, who testified during the hearing, characterized her as a good person who got involved with a boyfriend in Jamaica who led her astray.

PLEASE SHARE OUR ARTICLES WITH YOUR CONTACTS
HELP OTHERS STAY SAFE ONLINE

SCARS™ Team
A SCARS Division
Miami Florida U.S.A.

TAGS: Scam News, News About ScamsScams A Scam is a confidence trick - a crime -  is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust through deception. Scams or confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, or greed and exploiting that. Researchers have defined confidence tricks as "a distinctive species of fraudulent conduct ... intending to further voluntary exchanges that are not mutually beneficial", as they "benefit con operators ('con men' - criminals) at the expense of their victims (the 'marks')". A scam is a crime even if no money was lost., News About Scammers, Global Scamming News, Jamaican ScammerScammer A Scammer or Fraudster is someone that engages in deception to obtain money or achieve another objective. They are criminals that attempt to deceive a victim into sending more or performing some other activity that benefits the scammer. Sentenced To Prison, Melinda Bulgin, Jamaican Lotto Scammers, Lottery Scam Money.