Scam Warning Signs for Jamaicans Abroad and Their Parents Back Home

Families like mine live across oceans. Children in Norway, the UK, the US and Canada. Parents and grandparents in Jamaica. We stay close through phone calls, WhatsApp and money transfers. Fraudsters know this, and they have learned to use the distance against us.

Norway is one of the most digital countries in the world. Almost everything, from banking to taxes, runs through BankID and mobile apps. That convenience has made it a target too. Norwegian banks now publish yearly reports on the fraud methods they see, and the patterns are worth knowing whether you live in Sandnes or St. Ann.

The scams to watch for

• “Hi Mom, hi Dad.” A message from an unknown number: “I lost my phone, this is my new number, can you send money urgently?” Norwegian banks list this as a common method. It works just as well on a grandmother in Mandeville.
• The “safe account” call. Someone claiming to be your bank or the police says your account is under attack and asks you to move money to a “safe” account or confirm with BankID. Banks and police never ask you to do this.
• Fake login pages. A text with a link to a page that looks like your bank or BankID. Once you log in, criminals use your identity, even to open phone subscriptions or loans in your name.
• The prize or lottery call. “You have won, but you must pay a fee first.” If you have to pay to receive a prize, it is not a prize.
• Romance and investment scams. A charming new online friend who soon has a crisis, or a can’t-lose crypto opportunity. Both end the same way.
• The home visit. Someone comes to the door claiming to be from the bank or a company, asking for cards or codes. Older people living alone are the main target.

The common thread

Almost every scam uses the same three tools: urgency (act now), authority or love (it is the bank, the police, your child) and secrecy (do not tell anyone). When you feel all three at once, stop.

Why it matters

Digital safety is one of the highest-return skills anyone can learn today. A single scam can take a pensioner’s savings, damage a family’s trust and cause shame that keeps victims silent. The protection costs nothing but a conversation.

Three lessons

1. Hang up and call back. If someone claims to be your bank, your child or the police, end the call and contact them on a number you already know.
2. Never share codes. No real bank, police officer or company will ask for your BankID code, PIN or password.
3. Talk about it without shame. Scammers rely on silence. Families that talk openly about scams are much harder to fool.

One action today

Agree on a family code word. Call your parents or grandparents this week and choose a word that anyone asking for money in an emergency must say. If the caller does not know it, it is not family.