Police are investigating one of the largest electronic banking fraud cases reported in recent months, after a Paradise View resident discovered that EC$100,000 had been stripped from two of his bank accounts in a single day without his authorisation.
The man reported to the Criminal Investigations Department that EC$50,000 was transferred from his account at Antigua Commercial Bank and a further EC$50,000 from an account held at Eastern Caribbean Amalgamated Bank. Police confirmed the unauthorised transactions occurred on June 2.
Detectives have since interviewed the complainant and are actively tracing the transactions as part of an ongoing investigation. Senior officers have been briefed on the matter as inquiries continue into precisely how the funds were accessed and transferred.
The case is believed to be one of the largest reported electronic banking fraud incidents investigated by police in recent months.
The fact that identical amounts were drawn simultaneously from two separate financial institutions — ACB and ECAB — raises serious questions about whether the perpetrators had access to the victim's credentials across multiple platforms, or whether a more sophisticated method of fraud was employed.
The incident serves as a stark reminder to all banking customers in Antigua and Barbuda to remain vigilant about the security of their online banking credentials, to enable transaction alerts and two-factor authentication where available, and to report any suspicious activity to their financial institution immediately.
Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact the Criminal Investigations Department at 462-3913 or 462-3914, or report anonymously through Crimestoppers at 800-TIPS (8477).
