Jamaica’s National Security Council has formally designated advance fee fraud, commonly known as lottery scamming, a major national security threat to the Business Process Outsourcing and Global Services Sector, and has directed the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency to aggressively pursue perpetrators.

The council made the decision at its most recent meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Andrew Holness, following presentations from the Global Services Association of Jamaica and the Financial Services Commission, according to a statement from the Office of the Prime Minister. The move builds on a July directive that mandated a joint legislative and policy response to the problem, and marks an escalation toward coordinated law enforcement and regulatory action.

According to GSAJ figures cited in the statement, lottery scamming has cost the BPO sector more than J$6 billion, while the government loses up to J$900 million in revenue annually. The association also reported that scamming has led to the dismissal of almost 2,000 BPO employees, alongside the loss of several thousand related jobs across the industry.

Holness told the council that scamming and related cybercrime carry consequences far beyond the individuals targeted. “Scamming and other cybercrimes are not victimless crimes or crimes affecting only persons overseas or rich people,” he said. “Scamming now threatens the second largest foreign exchange earner and employment generation industry in Jamaica. The Government is committed to eradicating this problem. We will work with the BPO/GSS, local and overseas law enforcement and regulators to coordinate a comprehensive response to this threat.”

The Financial Services Commission has committed to building a regulated architecture intended to strengthen supervision and improve information sharing on individuals engaged in fraud and scamming within the BPO and global services sector.

The BPO sector has already been contracting. Industry figures reported in earlier coverage show sector employment falling from roughly 60,000 to 40,000 jobs since 2024, a decline attributed in part to reputational damage tied to scamming activity and its effect on client relationships in the United States and United Kingdom. The sector remains one of Jamaica’s largest foreign exchange earners and employers, which is why the government’s explicit security designation carries weight beyond the immediate law enforcement directive.

MOCA has not yet detailed specific enforcement measures or timelines. The FSC’s regulatory framework has also not been dated for rollout.