Scam alert!
– Min. Lawrence warns against scammers impersonating her to solicit money
– matter before the courts
– ‘ministers do not handle finances’
DPI, Guyana, Thursday, October 17, 2019
Persons are being urged to be on the lookout for scammers impersonating the Minister of Public Health, Hon. Volda Lawrence, soliciting monies for services. Minister Lawrence highlighted that several innocent persons have since fallen victim to the hideous act.
One of the matters has made it was to the Magistrates Court. This involves a father and son by the name of Mohamed Ali and Mohamed Ali Jnr. who allegedly scammed over $2M.
Speaking with the Department of Public Information (DPI), Minister Lawrence state, “person or persons impersonating me were able to receive over $2M, from a very small phone vendor using my name. The matter continues, I will have to return to court. Here it is that a small vendor would have to pay that $2M to the company that he took credit from.”
The minister further disclosed that recently, the Public Health Ministry was contacted by a young woman querying whether or not she was selected for a house lot.
“I had a caller inquiring of my office whether I had called to offer her a house lot. The young lady said it was purely coincidental that while travelling in a minibus, she overheard persons speaking about attempts to impersonate the Minister of Public Health.”
According to Minister Lawrence, the young woman, fortunately, did not give any money to the impersonator.
“I trust that persons out there would recognise that this is all a scam using my name, using my position as Minister of Public Health to take their monies from them. Please, should anyone call you, text you or send you a Facebook message asking you to send money to myself or any other Minister, please do not do so, Ministers do not handle finances,” Minister Lawrence underscored.
The minister is hoping for a decision to be made at the next court appearance. She has also made it clear that every complaint of such nature will be reported to the Guyana Police Force for it to be thoroughly investigated.