Jamaican national charged in sweepstakes elder fraud scheme

"Court documents unsealed in New Haven lay out allegations that Richard Murray and several others operated the scheme beginning as early as 2018. Investigators say victims were contacted by phone and told they had won a Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes. However, authorities allege that before collecting any supposed prize money, the winners first had to send in fees and taxes."

"After the initial conversations, the group allegedly mailed forged documents to their targets. The papers were designed to look like official winning notifications from Publishers Clearing House, along with tax forms that appeared to come from the Internal Revenue Service. Investigators say the paperwork was meant to make the story believable and reassure victims that the payments were legitimate. Many of the people targeted were elderly. Prosecutors say victims mailed cash, checks, or money orders to addresses in Connecticut and other states."

"The indictment describes what authorities call a network of "money mules." These were people who received funds from victims and then transferred the money to Murray and others, according to prosecutors. Some of those individuals were allegedly misled themselves and believed they were taking part in lawful business transactions. Federal officials also claim the group recruited others to open bank accounts under different names to move the money."

Federal prosecutors allege that Richard Murray, a 31-year-old Jamaican citizen, and several others ran a sweepstakes scam beginning as early as 2018 that targeted mostly elderly Americans. Victims were contacted by phone and told they had won a Publishers Clearing House prize, then instructed to pay fees and taxes before receiving any money. The group allegedly mailed forged winning notifications and fake IRS tax forms to make the scheme appear legitimate. Victims mailed cash, checks, and money orders to addresses in Connecticut and other states, with some sending multiple payments. A network of money mules and fabricated bank accounts transferred funds, with cash withdrawals made in Jamaica.

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