The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service Financial Crime Investigation Unit is warning residents that digital scams targeting the Cayman Islands are becoming more sophisticated and more frequent, with tactics that shift almost weekly.
Speaking on Radio Cayman’s The Buzz with Kathy Miller, Detective Constable Michael McNeir said the fake Google Meet video calls flagged earlier this year, where a man posing as a police officer asked victims for bank details, have already evolved. Scammers are now placing Google audio calls that display the logo of a well-known local organisation on the caller's screen, with at least two such calls reported to the unit in a single day.
Alongside the Google-based scams, McNeir said the unit is tracking spoofed SMS messages that appear to come from local phone numbers and pretend to be from Cayman banks or the Cayman Postal Service. In one case, a resident who thought they were paying a small postal fee had their full card details harvested and used to make an online purchase in another jurisdiction.
A separate scheme, which McNeir called "vehicle spoofing," targets buyers of imported Japanese cars. Victims are asked to send a twenty-five percent deposit through WhatsApp to contacts based in Karachi, Pakistan, and the vehicles never arrive.
McNeir said Cayman's exposure is tied to its status as a major international financial centre. "Just remember what Cayman is," he said. "The fifth-largest financial centre in the world. Where would you, if you were that person doing the scam, where would you go to? You'll concentrate on those financial centres."
He noted that Cayman is far from alone. Similar Google-based scams have hit the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Finland and other jurisdictions. Earlier this year, an international law enforcement operation froze more than 235 million US dollars in linked bank accounts and led to more than 200 arrests, though McNeir said organised crime networks continue to fill the gap.
Since arriving in Cayman in November, McNeir said the unit and local banks together have managed to recover a six-figure sum for local victims, but only in cases where the scam was reported quickly. Transactions can often be stopped before the end of the banking day if the customer alerts their bank immediately.
His practical advice for residents:
Do not click links in unexpected emails or texts, and hover over the sender address to check whether it matches a legitimate organisation.
Treat any call asking for bank details, card numbers or personal documents as suspicious, even if the caller ID shows a local number, and call the institution back on a number you have verified.
Block Google Meet or Google audio calls from unknown contacts in your device settings, and avoid banking transactions on public or shared Wi-Fi.
Never allow someone else to move money through your personal account, which McNeir warned is money laundering.
Review bank statements regularly so unusual activity is caught early.
McNeir also urged victims not to stay silent out of embarrassment. "If you think you've been scammed, don't just be embarrassed," he said. "Tell the financial institution, tell us, the police, either online or by phoning into the Financial Crime Unit or the George Town Police Station in Eastern Avenue, and we can do our best to help you. Act fast, don't act slow."
Suspicious activity can be reported to the RCIPS Financial Crime Investigation Unit or in person at the George Town Police Station on Eastern Avenue.