MOCA MAKES ARREST IN CONNECTION WITH MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR PHISHING SCAM

Agents from The Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) and officers from the Counter Terrorism and Organized Crime Branch (CTOC) of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), this morning arrested a Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) soldier as part of an ongoing investigation into a sophisticated phishing scam that defrauded the National Commercial Bank (NCB) of over $47 million dollars.

Allegations are that between April and June 2022, the funds were illegally accessed from a number of accounts held at NCB, via an online phishing scam. The stolen money was subsequently transferred to various beneficiary accounts, which have since been used to withdraw the funds or further transfer them to other banking institutions.

The soldier, who is suspected to be part of an organized criminal syndicate, was picked up by the lawmen at approximately 10am today, and taken to his residence in Kingston which was subsequently searched. Another address linked to another suspect who is currently in custody, was also searched. A number of electronic devices were seized during the search and charges are expected to be laid shortly.

According to Major Basil Jarrett, Director of Communications at MOCA, “this morning’s arrest highlights the commitment of MOCA and its law enforcement partners to dismantling organized crime networks and holding accountable those involved in complex financial crimes. It also underscores the importance of collaboration between intelligence, investigative, and technological capabilities in tackling cyber-enabled financial crimes.”

Major Jarrett also thanked the JDF for its collaboration on the matter, noting its zero-tolerance approach towards illicit activities of its members. “The JDF has a long history of discipline and integrity and is determined to preserve that reputation. Their support and partnership on this case was invaluable”, he added.

Capt Roxene Nickle, Acting Civil Military Cooperation and Media Affairs Officer for the JDF was similarly resolute. “The JDF is committed to combatting corruption and illegal activities and to support law enforcement bodies like MOCA in protecting Jamaica’s financial institutions and citizens from such unlawful activities,” she said.

The news was well received by Belinda Williams, Corporate Affairs Lead at NCB, who praised the efforts of the law enforcement teams. “Over the past 5 years, our customers have been impacted by phishing and smishing scams. These are matters that we at NCB take very seriously and as such we take great steps to educate and inform our customers about online safety. This, along with our efforts to report these incidents to law enforcement for investigation and appropriate action, have helped in these arrests today and we applaud the efforts of the MOCA and CTOC teams for their efforts in actively taking steps to safeguard our citizens and businesses. I also want to take the opportunity to once again remind our customers to never provide sensitive information to anyone online or click on links that look suspicious.”

In the meantime, MOCA urges members of the public to remain vigilant in their online activities and to report any suspicious activities involving financial transactions to the agency’s tip line at 888-MOCA-TIP.