Fraudsters in Jamaica are conspiring with or coercing property valuers to produce inflated appraisals, enabling buyers to obtain mortgage loans significantly larger than the true value of the property — a scheme that defrauds lenders and leaves buyers in negative equity.

Jamaica’s Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency has warned that real estate remains a primary vehicle for money laundering, with criminal proceeds being concealed through shell company ownership, nominee purchasers, and rapid resale of properties at above-market prices.

Jamaica is standing at a digital crossroads. What may appear, at first glance, to be a debate about amendments to cybercrime legislation…

Fraudsters are listing Jamaican properties for sale and demanding payment in cryptocurrency — Bitcoin, USDT, or other tokens — exploiting the irreversibility of blockchain transactions to ensure that victims cannot recover funds once payment is made. Authorities warn that no legitimate property transaction in Jamaica requires crypto payment.

There is a moment, usually just before something becomes unavoidable, when a society has a choice. It can look clearly at what…

Jamaica’s MOCA has charged a doctor, an executive assistant and an unemployed man accused of operating an elaborate 15-month scheme to steal property titles, forge identities, and secure over $600 million in fraudulent mortgages from five financial institutions.

Fraudsters are deploying AI-generated voice and video deepfakes to impersonate lawyers, real estate agents, and even NLA officials in order to redirect property sale proceeds and mortgage funds into criminal accounts. Cybercrime specialists warn Jamaica’s property sector is increasingly a target.

Fraudulent building compliance certificates and occupancy permits are being produced and circulated in Jamaica to make illegal or non-compliant structures appear approved, enabling their sale or rental despite failing to meet safety and planning standards.

Organised theft from residential and commercial construction sites across Jamaica is adding tens of thousands of dollars to individual build costs. Steel reinforcing bars, copper electrical wiring, and cement are the most frequently targeted materials, with site crews and night-time gangs the main perpetrators.

Fraudsters are using stolen identity documents — national ID cards, passports, and TRN cards — to impersonate property owners and obtain mortgages secured against properties they do not own. The true owner discovers the fraud only when a lender demands repayment or begins repossession proceedings.