Police reP ort over $100K in credit card fraud on Grand Bahama as cy Ber crime increases

BY DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

GRAnD Bahama Police are investigating over $100,000 in reported credit card fraud on the island, according to Assistant Commissioner of Police BK Bonamy Jr.

“We have narrowed it down to ten persons who may be responsible,” he said.

ACP Bonamy said they are seeing an increase in cyber crime activity, particularly with credit cards. He warned people to never give anyone their credit card number.

ACP Bonamy also said there are some risks with online banking. “I understand it is way to go, but be careful,” he said.

A Central Bank of the Bahamas annual report released in May 2020 revealed fraud involving credit cards, debit cards and checks tripled from

2,638 in 2020 to 8,337 in 2021.

It was found that although the number of fraud events increased substantially, they involved smaller transactions that amounted to a total value of $2.6m, which was 50 percent less than 2020.

In terms of businesses, Mr Bonamy said employee theft is also common. He encourages business owners to also install cameras to view activities at the cash register. He discourages installation of window coverings that prevent passersby or the police from seeing what is happening on the inside as there could be a robbery taking place. sPenCe Finlayson has been celebrating the second anniversary of his talk show Immediate Response on Zns - having featured a host of guests in that time.

ACP Bonamy said he has increased police visibility, and has instructed his officers on patrol to stop and check on businesses in their areas.

His first guests were Pastor Mario Moxey of Bahamas Harvest Church and George Frederick, a former manager of British American Insurance in st Vincent and the Grenadines. At the end of his first show, Pastor Moxey told Finlayson that “You are on an assignment from God on this show.”

Mr Finlayson has interviewed outstanding Bahamians around the world, such as Pastor sean Pinder, a televangelist originally from Grand Bahama and now residing in Mckinney, Texas; Dr Jason Carey who hails from Tarpum Bay, eleuthera, and now a top oncology specialist based in Houston, Texas;Lars Minns, human resources division head for Mercedes Benz north America and Canada; Liesa euton, hospitality specialist in Dubai; Trina Robinson, three-time emmy award-winning journalist and weekday news anchor at nBC 6 in south Florida; Aneka Beneby, CFA, MCsI in London, england; African American Billionaire Michael V Roberts based in st Louis; erika Munro Kennerly, entertainment executive and attorney in new York; Kirsten Knowles-Perdue, educational consultant in Atlanta; and Charmaine Bourbon, vice president at Grant Associates based in new York.

Immediate Response airs every weekday from 9am to 11am on Zns Television 211, 1540AM, 104.5FM and Facebook live.