It has come to the attention of the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) that unscrupulous persons have been making claims to be participants in JCDC competitions for which they have been soliciting money and phone numbers for voting purposes.

The JCDC states that it does not have not have any competitions running which requires persons to vote via telephone or text message, and are encouraging the public to report persons who approach them under this premise to the police.

Director of Marketing and Public Relations at the JCDC Mr. Stephen Davidson says “We have been notified via social media that these unscrupulous persons are trying to scam the public by requesting their phone numbers and cash to text in votes. We currently have no competitions running which require paid voting, so we want the public to be aware of these scammers and to point them out to the police when they see them.”

Information for JCDC Competitions to be found Online
Davidson continued, “We thank the public for notifying us of these scammers, and they can be assured that the Commission is doing everything within its power to safeguard the integrity of its competitions. We encourage the public to continue to be vigilant in conducting their business. All information relating to JCDC’s competitions and regulations can be found on our website at www.jcdc.gov.jm.”

“We are asking the public, if they are unsure or feel uneasy when dealing with persons who claim to represent the JCDC or participate in our competitions, to not hesitate to refer to our website or our social media pages for correct information. Also feel free to interact with us on Twitter or Instagram, @jcdcjamaica to ask us questions or report further unscrupulous activity.”

The JCDC is Jamaica’s premier cultural institution, and has 54 years of experience in unearthing, preserving, developing and promoting Jamaican Culture. The JCDC currently has following national competitions open for entries: Jamaica Festival Song Competition, Jamaica Gospel Song Competition, Jamaica Children’s Gospel Song Competition, Jamaica Creative Writing Competition, Jamaica Culinary Arts Competition, Jamaica Visual Arts Competition, Jamaica Festival of the Performing Arts Competition, Miss Jamaica Festival Queen Competition and World Reggae Dance Championship.

Details of these competitions can be found on the JCDC Website, www.jcdc.gov.jm, along with entry forms, rules and guidelines. Information can also be obtained from the JCDC Head Office at 3-5 Phoenix Avenue, Kingston 10 or any Parish Office across the island.