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WhatsApp Scam Advisory

The White Collar Crime Unit (WCCU) of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (RSCNPF) is advising the public regarding WhatsApp scams that have affected several members of the public to date. According to our investigations, overseas scammers are cloning WhatsApp accounts and sending messages to the victim's contacts, pretending to be the account owner. The fraudulent messages may claim, for example, that the individual is stranded in the United States and urgently needs financial assistance via money transfer. The RSCNPF urges all residents to remain vigilant and exercise caution. If you receive a message from a contact requesting money or for you to send to someone, please take the following steps...

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GENERAL PUBLIC ADVISORY

The Financial Services Regulatory Commission (FSRC), the White Collar Crime Unit (WCCU) and the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) are advising the general public to be aware of Job Search Scams being offered online through websites and social media platforms. These scams specifically target and take advantage of persons who are interested in opportunities to work from home or persons who are interested in earning extra funds in addition to earnings from their full-time employment. The local authorities have been made aware of persons who have responded to job advertisements posted on Facebook for ‘unusually high’ or ‘unrealistic’ wages for minimal tasks or jobs such as typing, preparing correspondence or data entry. Such persons would be informed that they have been successful in obtaining employment without any screening or an interview, and are required to provide their personal information including banking details to the ‘employer’.

Some of the red flags which have been observed to be associated with these scams include:

• The perpetrators use social media direct messages only to communicate, distribute tasks and provide payment details without any verbal or face-to-face communication.
• Persons receive payment for services through wire transfers and mobile transactions. The persons are then instructed to forward a portion of their payment to other individuals via money remitters.
• Persons are instructed to withdraw the monies immediately after being transferred into their account.
• The perpetrators would request personal information including banking details from victims before sending them an official confirmation of employment for the advertised job.
• The perpetrators do not share normal details such as a company website, social media page or physical address.
• The job advertisement may include phishing emails which require you to access a link which is used to gain unauthorized access to your personal devices and information.

If it appears too good to be true, it usually is! Be vigilant!

The general public is advised that any money derived from these scams, and subsequently used, is considered money laundering. Section 4(2) of the Proceeds of Crime Act, Cap 4.28 (POCA) outlines that a person engages in money laundering if that person knows or ought to reasonably have known, that the money or other property derived, obtained, or realised, directly or indirectly, was obtained from some form of criminal activity. Any person who has received funds via a Job Search Scam, as described above, should immediately contact the WCCU via email at wccu@police.kn or jerry.watt@police.kn or via telephone at 467- 1952/3/4 or 662-4723. Persons are advised to avoid using the funds derived from these activities. Failure to report these activities, could result in a money laundering charge and the penalties outlined in Section 4(1) of the POCA. 19 July 2024

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Request For Proposal For The Development Of Digitized Services For The Financial Services Regulatory Commission – St. Kitts Branch

The Financial Services Regulatory Commission – St. Kitts Branch (FSRC) is soliciting proposals from qualified individuals to develop a program for digitized services. The overall objective of this project is to develop a digital system for the submission of documents and information to the Financial Services Regulatory Commission (FSRC) – St. Kitts Branch.

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