Young men around the island are posing as women on popular social networking sites and scheming huge bucks out the pockets of male foreigners.

STAR investigations have revealed that the men are being tricked into investing heavily.

Popular sites such as Facebook and Tagged are being used by the creative crooks who work alongside actual females to run a circle of deception.

Fake profiles are created using copied pictures of other women on social networking sites.

"A simple thing, wi jus copy some sexy girl pics and make different profiles. Wi start off a chat to dem (the men) through message and if it sound like dem have money, and dem kind then wi gi dem a number fi call," Money G, a 23-year-old man from New Haven, St Andrew, explained.

"A ya suh di real woman dem do dem work now," he said before explaining the duties of three women whom he identified as his 'employees' who aid him in earning at least $20,000 per week.

voice to name

According to Money G, the role of the women involved in the scam is to put a voice to the name.

"Me find di links dem and di woman dem jus' talk to dem when dem call. Dem jus affi deal wid it like is a man weh dem meet and a look dem. Me buy phone fi dem and everything, all dem affi do is talk and tell whole heap a lie." he said before laughing.

He then added that his girls are given an agreed amount whenever money is received.

Money G later gave THE STAR contacts to four other men who also admitted to taking part in the scam, and says they treat it as a real job since they cannot find employment.

"Yu know how long me did a look a work and couldn't find none? Now is a car money mi a save up," one of the men, an 18-year-old from Westmoreland said.

When contacted, another man, 27, from Westchester in Portmore, St Catherine, boldly admitted, "Mi a tell yu plain and straight, if a man ago be a fool wid fi him money, and send to somebody who him neva see yet den a fi him business dat. A money me a deal wid, a over $25,000 mi mek last week."

All the men who admitted to taking part in the scam also claim they know others who are involved, and say they believe the number of persons involved is increasing rapidly.

When contacted last evening, Senior Superintendent Fitz Bailey, head of the Organised Crime Investigation Division, said the police were unaware of the scam.

He, however, explained to THE STAR that the act was illegal.

"There is no doubt about it being illegal, but for now, I cannot comment much because I am unaware of the situation," SSP Bailey said.

*Names changed