What should you do if you fall victim to a scam? How can you avoid scams? Learn about how you can reduce the risk of identity theft and other forms of fraud with practical advice and information on what criminals are doing.
The Facebook Scam:
Nigerian fraudsters are creating fake Facebook profiles, usually of attractive women and thereafter approaching males with proposals of romance. The female is usually interested in marriage and states "she" is interested in coming to Bermuda but is short on cash. Targets are either then asked to send money via Western Union for the alleged airfare or are asked use their Bermuda bank accounts for the purpose of receiving funds. Funds received into the victims account are usually the proceeds of other fraudulent schemes.
Note: Using your banks account for this purpose may make you criminal liable. To date, several Bermuda residents have been arrested for participating, albeit wittedly, in similar schemes.
Did you know?
There is a common misconception that involvement in the removal of currency from Bermuda on behalf of another carries no risk as long as the money is under $10,000. From August 2012, ANY property (including cash, jewelry, etc) may be subject to seizure if a police officer suspects the property to be linked to crime. Cash of any value (including that under $10,000) may be seized and subject to forfeiture. Further, assisting a person in this manner is a serious offence and carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. Agreeing to take cash out of Bermuda for another person just isn't worth the risk.
How to avoid being the victim of electronic crime:
Never respond to an unsolicited request from anyone asking you to pass on your security details (whether it be your log in name, password, mother's maiden name or other security identifier). A legitimate organization, such as a bank, will never ask its customer for these details.
Never click on a link in an email in order to access the website of a bank or other institutions. Instead, manually enter the URL of the institution's website into your browser's address bar.
If in doubt, contact the Bermuda Police Financial Crime Unit on 441-247-1757 or via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
