BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force is once again urging the public to exercise extreme caution when making online purchases, especially via social media platforms, as online scams continue to rise.
In a public advisory posted to its official social media pages, the Police Force reminded citizens not to make purchases from individuals they do not know or trust.
This renewed warning follows a recent incident in which an individual was defrauded of EC$10,000 in a vehicle scam conducted through Facebook.
According to police, on June 1st, a black Honda CR-V was advertised for sale on Facebook by a user identifying himself as “Akeem Harris.” The vehicle was listed at a price of EC$17,000.
The unsuspecting buyer made an initial down payment of EC$4,000 via mobile banking and was promised same-day delivery of the vehicle. When the vehicle was not delivered as expected, the seller claimed he had “missed the boat” and requested an additional EC$6,000 to cover supposed ownership transfer fees.
“After receiving a total of $10,000 ECD, the seller became unresponsive and eventually claimed to be off-island. Since then, he has ceased communication altogether,” the police statement read.
The Police Force issued the following warning to the public:
"Let this serve as a serious warning: do not send money to individuals online without verifying their identity or legitimacy. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Always insist on meeting in person, verifying ownership documents, and involving a trusted third party or legal authority when making high-value purchases."
This is the second reported incident in recent months involving fraudulent activities on social media. In a separate case, 35-year-old Desi Williams of Sandy Point is currently under investigation in connection with fraud allegations.
Fraud, particularly financial and online scams, has become increasingly prevalent across the Federation. In response, the White-Collar Crimes Unit of the Police Force continues to urge the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity.
