The Psychology of Scamming

Scamming has become a HUGE problem in Jamaica, and when I say HUGE I mean HUGE. We haven't received so much [negative] international  attention in quite some time (ye, let's not count the Dudus Saga). But when CNN and BCC do 'special' stories on scamming in the island, it may just be a problem. 

Everyone wonders what can be done to stop it and what caused it in the first place, but can we ever find out the cause of criminal activities or how to stop them? Functionalists believe that crime serves a purpose or rather has a "function" in society. These sociologists believe that everything happening within a society is important to that nation's or culture's survival. Therefore, perhaps scamming is essential to our survival? It does allow for more money to be spent in the island... and if you look at it since they are receiving their "earnings" in the island they are also helping to maintain local businesses...not to mention increasing the foreign exchange in the island since some of the scammers receive their "earnings" in US and other currency.

I'm just being the devil's advocate here... It's still a crime, it's illegal, it's wrong... but why are persons, especially in Montego Bay, undertaking this activity? Is it just about a quick path to wealth, and attaining the big house, the expensive car ... the "flossing" image which is common in the Dancehall industry? Let's look at this a little further.

I went to Montego Bay a few months ago and went to Aquasol Beach Park (beautiful place by the way, you should all go) and my cousin showed me a line of buildings in the distance. He explained to me that all those buildings  in Freeport  were call centers. An mi nah talk one an two small building, mi mean a wholeep a building an a multiple stories. He was thinking about going to work at one of these centers while finishing up his degree.

"Mi have a fren weh work a one and she get $5,000 a week. Mi nuh sure how she mek it, because by time she pay for bus fare she bruk. The one I want to work at pays $10,000 though. But is like dem a seh dem nuh want me fi a go school while I'm doing it. The day I have class dem seh I cya tek that day off, I can take any other day."

Let's just go back to that $5,000 to $10,000 Jamaican dollars... for 5-7 days of work. Let that sink in. Let's couple that with the "prison" environment within which they work. Bags in lockers... No phones... No food inside...Long hours... and the list goes on. What motivation would you have to continue working in these conditions for little pay, when you have access to lists of private information for overseas customers and could easily scam them for way more than your salary for the year? 

I'm aware a lot of factors will influence your decision and nobody wants to seem like a criminal ... but it's the reality. When you can make more money would you settle for less? I probably wouldn't do it, because my parents fully made me scared of the police lol... but when you can see no way out or yuh greedy, scamming becomes an option.

Now of course the above scenario may not and cannot be the case for all the scammers in Montego Bay and other parts of the island, but it's the basis on which I believe this behaviour originates. All (or rather most) crimes are committed to gain something... be it money... peace of mind...status (especially, in gangs). Thus, what needs to be derived at is the motivation behind this behaviour, which is not restricted only to the poor.

A few months ago a Councillor (yes this is the correct spelling for the political official) was arrested in connection with a lottery scamming ring. It was said that his son was participating in the illegal activity unbeknownst to him... I'm sure quite a number of us don't believe that, but the son is now in prison waiting for his case to be heard. 

There will always be conflict, crime and violence in this society since there is "competition for scarce resources" (as noted by Karl Marx). These resources can be anything we value, like: wealth, power, security, happiness...

"Reason has always existed, but not always in a reasonable form."

- Karl Marx