The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

THE “singing” bishop, Lawrence Rolle, said he fell victim to a novel scam that threatened his non-profit.

Mr Rolle said he received a call from an unfamiliar number on Saturday. The male caller captured his attention by inviting him to a Zoom meeting at 8 o’clock. He said after confirming his WhatsApp number, the caller directed him to a message.

He said the caller asked him if he had a WhatsApp number, to which he replied yes. The caller then instructed him to check his WhatsApp for a number, and upon doing so, Mr Rolle discovered a link.

By that evening, the scammer had contacted several partners involved in feeding people experiencing poverty, soliciting $1,000 from each. Some recipients were upset by the scammer’s profanity and reported the incident to Bishop Rolle, who then realised he had been defrauded.

Bishop Rolle expressed his distress over being impersonated, feeling unsupported in his efforts, and warned others against sending money, clarifying that the scammer was not him. He urged authorities to act swiftly to shut down the scammer’s account and encouraged people to come to the church for donations.

Superintendent Anthony McCartney, the officer in charge of the financial crimes unit, said yesterday that while this type of scam is not entirely new, it has taken on a novel twist by exploiting popular platforms like WhatsApp, where scammers leverage personal connections for their deceitful schemes.

“What the process entails is that the scammer will make contact and try to convince you of something,” he said. “They will indicate they are going to send a specific code to your phone, which serves as your identification code, and once you repeat that code, they can download WhatsApp using your contacts on their device, locking you out of your account.”

He added that there have been very few reported cases of this scam, and while many victims may not have come forward to the police, he anticipates that more cases will emerge now that it has gained public attention. Officials suspect international players are involved, as some people have already fallen victim by sending money.