Update (22 July):

Three men, Dave Obaseki, Michael Capers, & Sean Luke, all American nationals, recently pleaded guilty to several counts of Obtaining Property by Deception in relation to several fraudulent purchases made in Grand Cayman using stolen credit card details. Upon the arrest of the men, police seized 73 fraudulently purchased items from the residence where the men were residing. These included expensive jewellery, perfumes, and electronics such as iPads and iPhones.

Following the guilty pleas, the men have been sentenced to 18 months imprisonment and the affected businesses have either had seized items returned or compensation orders granted.

The conviction and sentencing of the men follows a multi-faceted investigation led by the RCIPS Financial Crime Investigation Unit (FCIU), which involved coordinating with international partners to identify overseas victims whose credit card details were among those stolen.

“We would like to give a special thank you to everyone who assisted in this investigation, from our international partners, to the front line officers who responded to the initial report, to our colleagues in the Digital Forensics Hub and the Cayman Islands Bureau of Financial Investigations. We are especially thankful to the staff of the affected businesses, who willingly cooperated with us and provided essential evidence,” says Detective Sergeant Nevron Bradshaw of the FCIU. “Their assistance was crucial in allowing us to progress the investigation quickly, so that charges could be laid in a timely manner, and with such strong supporting evidence as to result in guilty pleas. This result sends a message that such activity will not be tolerated in the Cayman Islands.”

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Update (22 March):

The three men, American nationals ages 32, 32, and 33, who were arrested on Tuesday, 19 March, after making suspected fraudulent credit card purchases, have been formally charged with three counts each of Obtaining Property by Deception, for several purchases totaling over $50,000CI in value.

The men are appearing in court this morning, 22 March.

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Initial Release (21 March):

Police are investigating multiple instances of credit card fraud, where persons have made purchases using credit card details which have been obtained fraudulently, without knowledge or consent of the cardholders.

At times these purchases have been made over the phone or online, however police have recently seen a number of instances where the culprits have made purchases in person without providing a physical card or identification.

On Tuesday, 19 March 2024, officers arrested three men, ages 32, 32, and 33, who are visitors to the island, on suspicion of obtaining property by deception, after the men had earlier purchased several items with card information from multiple cards, which appears to have been fraudulently obtained. Police also conducted a search of the premises where the men were located, and seized several items, including phones, computer items, perfumes and expensive jewellery, which are suspected to have been obtained by the same method.

The men remain in custody as investigations continue.

Businesses which have conducted transactions with manually entered card details since 16 March, particularly involving a group of three American men, two of whom are of dark complexion, one of light complexion, are asked to review these transactions and contact the RCIPS Financial Crime Investigation Unit at [email protected] if they have any suspicions.  

The RCIPS is taking the opportunity to advise the public and businesses of the steps that can be taken to help avoid becoming victims of this type of fraud.

Members of the public should remember to never share card details or your PIN with others, always keep your cards in sight when making payments, and otherwise out of sight of other persons.

It’s also important to monitor your account for payments you don’t recognise. If possible, take advantage of transaction alerts provided through email or a bank approved app. This way, if you see a card payment you do not recognise, you can report it immediately to your bank.

Finally, persons should avoid, as best as possible, making payments with your card via phone. Instead, remote payments should be done through secure recognisable platforms.

Businesses should avoid conducting card transactions when persons are unable to produce the physical card with matching identification.

Additionally, businesses may want to consider not conducting card transactions over the phone, since a physical card cannot be provided in these cases.

If you suspect you have been a victim of credit card fraud, contact the RCIPS at 949-4222, or by dialing 9-1-1.