Gov't warns donors of online Hurricane Melissa relief scams

The Government is warning donors at home and abroad to be on high alert for scammers setting up fake websites to steal Hurricane Melissa relief funds.

Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, with responsibility for Science, Technology and Special Projects, Dr Andrew Wheatley, says cybercriminals are trying to cash in on Jamaica's tragedy by diverting donations meant for victims of the powerful storm.

Speaking at a press briefing at Jamaica House on Thursday morning, Wheatley said the Jamaica Cyber Incident Response Team (JaCIRT) has issued an urgent alert about fraudulent websites pretending to collect money and supplies on behalf of the state.

He revealed that JaCIRT's monitoring system has already flagged at least 28 suspicious domains that appear designed to redirect donations from legitimate sources.

"These malicious actors are creating fake websites with names similar to Jamaica's official donation portal," Wheatley warned, adding that some of the sites are still under development but could go live in the coming days.

The Minister stressed that the only legitimate website for Government Hurricane Melissa relief donations is https://www.supportjamaica.gov.jm

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Wheatley urged donors to double-check web addresses before making contributions and to be wary of messages that pressure them to act quickly.

"Scammers often create false urgency to trick people into skipping basic checks," he said, adding that anyone donating through charities should independently verify their legitimacy.

He also encouraged international donors to exercise extra caution and use only the official government portal.

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