SOCU warns of ‘package delivery,’ ‘romance’ scams

The Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) of the Guyana Police Force on Friday warned of a sharp rise in cases where suspected Nigerian nationals who are in the country illegally as well as some out of Guyana, are working with local accomplices to carry out scams and pyramid schemes on unsuspecting persons.

In a statement, SOCU said that “Package Delivery” and “Romance” scams became more prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic as scammers targeted primarily women via several social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, as well as online dating sites.