At least one victim in the United States (US) has been able to recover a portion out of over $19 million that was defrauded by Jamaican lottery scammers.

According to a report on a US government-based website, www.ice.gov, the family of an elderly Raleigh woman who was defrauded of nearly US$200,000 (J$19,503,680) by Jamaican scammers has received a US$45,000 (J$4,388,328) cheque.

It is reported that the funds were recovered on her behalf by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Jamaican Financial Investigations Division (FID).

The victim who is in her 90s, received information in May 2012 that stated she had won a lottery prize.

She was later contacted by a man who told her she owed US$9,000 ($877,665) in taxes and other expenses to receive her prize.

The fraudsters cheated her out of nearly US$200,000 (J$19,503,680) before she reported the scam to law enforcement.

A part of the woman's money was recovered after HSI special agents, along with the Winston-Salem Police Department, FID and her financial institution, identified a bank account at the National Commercial Bank in Jamaica where the illegally obtained funds had been deposited.

It is reported that under Project JOLT (Jamaican Operations Linked to Telemarketing), an international task force comprised of agents and officers focused on combating Jamaica-based telemarketing fraud operations, special agents from HSI Kingston worked with local authorities in returning the US$45,000 (J$4,388,328) left in the scammer's account to the victim.

Investigations into this matter are ongoing.

Meanwhile, since the inception of the operation, project JOLT investigations have resulted in 149 arrests, 10 indictments and six convictions.