Elderly CA Woman Loses $180K In Sweepstakes Fraud Scheme: Authorities

A Jamaican citizen was sentenced Monday to more than five years in prison for defrauding an elderly California woman out of more than $181,000 over the course of seven years in a phoney sweepstakes scheme, authorities said.

Dwayne Anderson, 36, of Hannover, Jamaica, was sentenced to 63 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Anderson, who undertook the scheme from 2010-17, used fake names and contacted the woman by telephone, text message and email, and falsely informed her that she had won millions of dollars in a sweepstakes, authorities said.

Anderson persuaded the woman to send money to pay various purported fees and taxes associated with the alleged winnings, according to the department. He instructed the woman on how to make the payments, including having her send money to a person in South Dakota, authorities said.

Anderson repeatedly contacted the woman with additional requests that she pay money and falsely told her that her winnings would be forthcoming as long as she paid the requested amounts, according to the department.

In September 2025, Anderson pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, authorities said.

He was arrested on July 11, 2024, by Jamaican authorities based on a U.S. indictment and extradited to the U.S., according to the department. At sentencing, he was ordered to pay more than $181,000 in restitution, authorities said.