Incidents increasing during the festive season
The Bermuda Police Service (BPS) is urging residents and local businesses to remain on high alert amid reports of scammers targeting customers of financial institutions across the island.
According to police, fraudsters are contacting individuals by phone or email while falsely claiming to be representatives from the fraud departments of local banks. Victims are told that suspicious or fraudulent activity has been detected on their accounts and are pressured into providing personal login credentials in order to “resolve” the issue.
Once access is gained, the scammers quickly transfer funds out of the accounts, often to overseas destinations.
With the festive season historically associated with an increase in fraud-related activity, the BPS is reminding the public to exercise caution and remain vigilant when receiving unsolicited communications claiming to be from financial institutions.
Police stressed that legitimate bank representatives will never ask customers to provide account usernames, passwords, or other login credentials over the phone or by email. Residents who are unsure about the authenticity of a call are advised to hang up immediately and contact their bank directly using an official phone number or by visiting a branch in person.
The BPS also warns against downloading or installing any third-party software at the request of someone claiming to represent a bank, as this may allow scammers to gain remote access to personal devices.
Additionally, members of the public are encouraged to carefully review email headers and sender details when receiving messages purportedly from their bank, ensuring they match previous legitimate communications.
Anyone who believes they may have been targeted or victimised by a scam is encouraged to report the matter to the Bermuda Police Service as soon as possible.
