Jamaica Banking Security Measures: Protect Your Financial Information from Fraudsters

As financial transactions increasingly take place online, Jamaicans are at risk of falling prey to phishing emails and vishing telephone calls that could compromise their banking security. Cybercriminals may use viruses or spyware to gain access to personal information stored on computers, leading to identity theft and fraud.

Safeguarding Against Threats

To safeguard against these threats, banking experts advise individuals to exercise extreme caution when handling sensitive financial information. Never disclose passwords or other confidential details in response to emails, phone calls, or letters purporting to be from your bank or financial institution. Banks will never request such information via email or phone call.

Online Banking Security

When accessing online banking services:

• Ensure you are using a secure internet connection by checking for “https” at the beginning of the address and a padlock symbol in the browser frame.
• Verify the website’s authenticity by carefully examining the address for subtle misspellings, additional words, and characters.
• Only visit your bank’s website by entering the correct address into your browser or using a bookmark you have created.

Additional Measures to Protect Your Online Banking

In addition to these measures, banking experts recommend:

• Installing effective and updated antivirus/antispyware software and firewall before logging in to online accounts
• Using different passwords and PINs for each website
• Setting strong passwords and PINs that are not shared with anyone
• Considering dual authority with your bank for transactions over a preset limit
• Reading terms and conditions and clarifying liability for loss in the event of fraud

Phone Call Scams

When receiving phone calls claiming to be from your bank:

• Never respond to requests to divulge sensitive information.
• Hang up and call back using another phone or wait at least five minutes before doing so.

Staying Vigilant

To stay vigilant, always:

• Monitor online banking statements regularly and report any unusual transactions immediately.
• Consider switching to paperless statements with mobile alerts and updating Windows operating systems regularly.
• Be aware of “shoulder surfers” viewing your screen and never conduct online banking from public computers or shared devices.

Additional Security Measures

Some banks offer free download security software designed to protect online banking transactions. Visit the websites of your financial institutions for more information on online security and known frauds.

If you have been a victim of actual or attempted fraud, report it immediately to:

• Your bank
• The Cyber Incident Response Team in the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology (876-929-8990-9)
• The Communication Forensics and Cybercrimes Unit of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (876-967-5948 or 876-922-3288)