(Jamaica Gleaner) As of today, people receiving money in Jamaica through Western Union will be subjected to a new mandatory requirement.
Western Union has announced that all customers receiving money must now present the Money Transfer Control Number issued to the sender.
The Money Transfer Control Number is a unique 10-digit code that is used to trace money transfers.
It is used in other parts of the world but was never mandatory in Jamaica.
In public announcements posted in its branches, GraceKennedy Remittance Services, the franchise holder for Western Union in Jamaica, did not offer a reason for making control number mandatory.
However, our sources say it is part of an improved security system.
The requirement for the Money Transfer Control Number comes seven months after 14 Western Union branches were closed as a measure against the lottery scam.
Since that time GraceKennedy has been putting in place tighter control measures on money transfers especially in St. James, where the lottery scam is most prevalent.
Last year, Western Union also imposed a US$400 limit on money transfers to and from St James.
