Update | Policeman among six charged by MOCA over scam of elderly NCB customer
Published:Monday | December 9, 2024 | 8:41 AM
A policeman, a security guard and a sales representative of a telecommunication company are among six persons charged by the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) in relation to operations last week in connection with the multimillion-dollar smishing scam of an elderly National Commercial Bank customer.
Police Constable Marlando Rowe, 35, of Sunrise Crescent, Four Paths, Clarendon; 27-year-old security guard Shamar Cammock, of Manor View Drive, Kingston 8; and 26-year-old Kimmor Peters, a Flow sales representative of Bucks Common, Clarendon, were all charged with breaches of the Proceeds of Crime Act and the Larceny Act on Friday, December 6, following their arrests between Tuesday and Wednesday last week.
Also charged are 31-year-old electrician Nemoy Rodney of Miller Lane, Old Harbour Road, St Catherine, 34-year-old Glenecia Smith, customer service representative of Old Hope Road, St Andrew and 27-year-old Zowan Foster, a cashier of Top Hill district, Junction, St Elizabeth
Foster was slapped with an additional charge of facilitating the use of criminal property.
According to Major Basil Jarrett, Director of Communications at MOCA, the six persons are suspected of being part of a wider cyber enabled crime group and their arrest and charge demonstrates the agency's resolve to dismantling and disrupting organised criminal enterprises.
The six are to appear in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Wednesday, December 11.
MOCA had reported that the senior citizen was the victim of a smishing scam, which is a cyber-attack that uses fake mobile text messages to trick persons into downloading malware, sharing sensitive information or sending money to cybercriminals.
The attacks are alleged to have taken place in March last year.
The persons arrested and charged are believed to have stolen US$45,000 and $7.4 million and distributed the funds to a number of beneficiaries using a sophisticated smishing scam, MOCA reported.
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