First Lady warns Guyanese of scholarship scams

In light of increased reports that Guyanese have been receiving telephone calls and text messages with requests for payment in exchange for scholarships, First Lady Sandra Granger wishes to reiterate that her Office does not offer scholarships and would not request cash from private citizens.
Addressing the issue during an interview on Thursday, the First Lady urged citizens to remain vigilant for anyone using her office or her name to approach people with the proposition of down payments for scholarships.
“Several statements were issued by my Office and Ministry of the Presidency, on social media and in the local media advising people that my Office has absolutely no access to scholarships. All scholarships offered by the Government are offered through the Department of Public Service… If you are informed that you are to get a scholarship, check it out, call and find out…,” the First Lady said.
She further lamented the fact that individuals were taking advantage of citizens’ vulnerabilities.
“These crooks are taking advantage of the naivety and the sensitivities of the people they are approaching… It is really a scam of the worst order, because people are taking advantage of other people’s vulnerabilities… These people are going from one extreme to the next to make easy money out of vulnerable people.”
In April, a fraudster, Muhammad Ali, was arrested and placed before the court for impersonating the First Lady and tricking citizens into transferring money to him.
The trickster managed to obtain 12 pennyweights of gold, worth $139,000 and $30,000 in GTT and Digicel phone cards, while pretending that he was in the position to grant scholarships to a young woman. Ali has since been prosecuted and jailed.