Financial institutions, particularly those aligned to the Jamaica Bankers’ Association (JBA), have pooled human and financial resources in an all-out effort to smash an emerging debit-card scam that is threatening the security confidence of the electronic banking system in Jamaica.
For the first time since the promulgation of the Cybercrimes Act more than eight months ago, the police yesterday reported that they cracked a major cybercrime ring, arresting and charging two men for breaching the far-reaching statute.
Michael Gordon, chairman of the JBA’s anti-fraud committee, wel-comed the use of the cybercrime law against debit-card scammers, noting that charges against these persons in the past reflected a slap on the wrist.
“They are now being arrested under the Cybercrimes Act. That’s a great improvement because before we were wondering under what regulations these persons would be charged; we were even looking at trespassing,” he told The Gleaner yesterday.
Using micro-pin cameras and other technological devices, debit-card fraudsters have been collecting data from debit cards, as well as personal identification numbers (PINs), in an effort to withdraw money from the accounts of cardholders.
