Wells police have arrested a 47-year-old Jamaican woman, saying she participated in a scam that apparently netted about $26,000 from two elderly victims.

Lt. Gerald Congdon said his department was contacted Aug. 17 by police in Gilbert, Arizona, who told him that an 88-year-old woman there had sent about $16,000 to an address in Wells. Police said the Arizona woman had been called by someone in Jamaica who said she had won a lottery but had to send money to pay fees associated with the lottery before receiving her winnings.

She was given an address in Jamaica and another in Wells, Congdon said.

Wells police said they searched a house on Sanford Road in Wells on Aug. 19 and recovered cash and other items. They said the house was occupied by five people from Jamaica who were working in Ogunquit for the summer on work visas. Congdon said the house is owned by the owner of an Ogunquit hotel who used it to house some of his summer workers.

Wells police also uncovered evidence that an 81-year-old man from Taylor County, Florida, had sent about $10,000 to Wells in another apparent scam. Wells police contacted the sheriff’s office in Florida, where deputies confirmed that the man said he had sent money to Wells.

On Aug. 19, Congdon said, police arrested Anneth Swaby and charged her with theft by unauthorized taking or transfer. Congdon said Swaby posted $1,000 bail, and federal authorities said she would be added to a no-fly list so she didn’t try to return to Jamaica. She remains in the country on her work visa, he said.

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Congdon said police developed enough information to charge Swaby but haven’t charged anyone else. Her case will be presented to the York County grand jury, most likely in September.

Congdon said there’s no indication that Wells was targeted as an address for people to send money. He said Swaby deposited the checks in a local bank and then sent at least some of the money to Jamaica.

Such scams are widespread and have been around for years, he said. In fact, he said that in the past week, he’s gotten messages on his phone associated with a scam that alleges he owes money to the Internal Revenue Service and another suggesting he had to pay money immediately to resolve a legal matter. Neither case is true, he said.

Edward D. Murphy can be contacted at 791-6465 or at:

emurphy@pressherald.com


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