Beware of Financial Scams and Fraudulent Impersonations of CIMA (2025-03-31)

Summary

This is a public awareness notice issued by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA) warning the general public about scams and fraud schemes in which individuals falsely claim to represent CIMA. CIMA clarifies that it never contacts members of the public unsolicited by phone, email, WhatsApp, or SMS to collect fees, taxes, or payments, and that it does not assist with recovery of crypto assets or other financial transactions. The notice is informational and directed at the general public rather than at regulated entities.

• Reporting suspicious communications: Recipients of suspicious communications purporting to be from CIMA or impersonating licensed entities should report them to CIMA's abuse email address.
• Verifying regulatory status: Verify any financial institution's regulatory status via CIMA's public entity search tool.
• Reporting suspected fraud: Report suspected fraud to local law enforcement or other regulatory authorities.

This document does not create compliance obligations for licensees or regulated entities; it is a consumer/public protection advisory rather than a regulatory requirement or rule change.