How to Report Cybercrime and Online Fraud in the Cayman Islands (2026)
Scammed or hacked in the Cayman Islands? Who to call (911 and the RCIPS Financial Crime Unit), how to preserve evidence, and how to try to get your money back.
The Cayman Islands are a British Overseas Territory with their own police force, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS), so if you are scammed or hacked here you report locally, not to any UK or US service. This guide shows you exactly who to contact, how to preserve evidence, and how to try to get your money back. Speed matters most: the sooner you tell your bank, the better your odds.
Primary sources: RCIPS Financial Crime Investigation Unit · RCIPS fraud awareness · Cayman Islands Ombudsman (data protection)
On this page
First: stop the loss
- Contact your bank or card issuer immediately. If you sent money or shared card details, call the number on your card or statement, report the fraud, and ask them to stop or recall the payment and freeze the account. For card payments, ask about a chargeback. Our chargeback guide explains how.
- Stop all contact with the scammer. Never send more money to "release" or "verify" funds. That is the scam. Block the number, email and account.
- Secure your accounts by changing passwords, signing out other devices and turning on two-step verification. If you clicked a link, see what to do after clicking a phishing link.
- Keep evidence: emails, texts, payment references, names, numbers and account details.
Who to report to
- Emergency or a crime in progress: call 911.
- Fraud, scams and cyber-enabled financial crime: report to the RCIPS Financial Crime Investigation Unit on +1 (345) 949-8797 or email [email protected]. For general police matters, the non-emergency line is +1 (345) 949-4222.
- To pass information anonymously, use the Cayman Crime Stoppers confidential tip line on 949-7777 or the RCIPS tip form.
- A data breach involving your personal information can be raised with the Cayman Islands Ombudsman, the data-protection supervisory authority.
Reporting does not by itself return your money, but it creates an official record and feeds local intelligence. Report even if you did not lose money, because the information still helps stop the next victim.
Getting your money back
The Cayman Islands use the Cayman Islands dollar, which is pegged to the US dollar. How you paid decides your options, and speed is everything.
| How you paid | What to do |
|---|---|
| Bank wire or transfer | Call your bank within minutes and ask them to recall the payment and freeze the receiving account. Wires are hard to reverse once settled, so act at once. |
| Debit or credit card | Ask your card issuer for a chargeback and dispute the transaction in writing. Card payments carry the strongest protection. |
| Crypto, cash app or gift cards | Rarely recoverable. Report to the platform and the police immediately, and ignore "recovery agents" who contact you, that is a common second scam. |
Because many scams targeting the islands are run from overseas, a full recovery can need cooperation between banks in different countries. Report to the RCIPS Financial Crime Investigation Unit first and give them every detail.
Scams that hit the Cayman Islands
The RCIPS has warned repeatedly about:
- Bank-impersonation phone scams where a caller claims there is fraud on your account and asks for your online-banking logins or a one-time code. Your bank never asks for these.
- Fake government emails sent from spoofed Cayman Islands Government addresses.
- Mystery-shopper and job scams, plus investment and romance scams that build trust before inventing fees. See how the messaging works in our explainer on how phishing works and how to stop it.
The law and your data
Computer offences in the Cayman Islands, such as unauthorised access to a computer and unauthorised modification of data, are dealt with under the Computer Misuse Act (2015 Revision). Your personal data is protected by the Data Protection Act (2021 Revision), overseen by the Ombudsman, who investigates data-breach notifications and complaints.
FAQ
Can I report to the US FBI or UK Action Fraud from Cayman?
No. The Cayman Islands have their own police service. Report to the RCIPS Financial Crime Investigation Unit. If a scam clearly originates abroad, the police can liaise with agencies in that country.
My email or social media was hacked. Who do I tell?
Secure the account first: change the password, sign out other devices and turn on two-step verification. Then report to the RCIPS, especially if money, identity or business communications were affected.
I only received a suspicious message and lost nothing. Should I still report?
Yes. Reporting scam numbers and emails to the RCIPS helps the police warn others and track offenders. Block the sender and keep a screenshot.
Sources: RCIPS Financial Crime Investigation Unit · RCIPS submit a tip · RCIPS fraud awareness · Cayman Islands Ombudsman (data protection)
If you have been targeted, you are not alone. See our country-by-country cybercrime help hub for step-by-step reporting and recovery guides.