THE EDITOR, Sir:

An advertisement by J. Wray & Nephew Ltd in The Gleaner of April 4, 2008, headlined 'Magnum Fraudulent Callers' prompted me to write as I was a victim of these pranksters who use Western Union to fleece the unwary of their hard-earned cash.

Last year April 1, I received a call on my fixed telephone from someone purporting to be a relative in England requesting me to pay over some money to someone who came out from England to bury three relatives killed by gunmen in Montego Bay. He owed this person the money and she was in need of it for the funeral as her relatives (those in Jamaica) said they had no money.

Promise to repay

My 'nephew' proceeded to give the woman's name and cellular number and said the woman would call me. He promised to repay in two weeks. A woman later called to ask me to send the money to a Western Union office in Montego Bay but I learnt that that company facilitates collection anywhere.

After waiting for some time to hear again, from my 'nephew' I realised I was tricked. What I would like to point out to your readers is that the police and Western Union are helpless in assisting to trace these thieves, so we have to be wary of people who are using Western Union to carry out their fake schemes.

May God be on our side.

I am, etc.,

JENNIFER McFARLANE

Cumberland, Portmore