Law enforcement authorities in Barbados have sounded an urgent alarm over a brazen new scam that sees criminals impersonating police officers to trick residents into handing over sensitive personal and financial information via WhatsApp. In an official public advisory released this week, the Barbados Police Service (TBPS) detailed the emerging fraudulent scheme, which targets unsuspecting members of the public through uninvited WhatsApp video calls.
According to the advisory, the scammers behind the operation have several consistent telltale traits: they typically speak with foreign accents, and use deceptive profile materials designed to mimic official police branding. Their profile photos and call backgrounds feature modified crests bearing the phrase “Barbados Police Force”, crafted to closely resemble the authentic TBPS insignia and build false trust with targets.
Once they have connected with a victim, the scammers spin a fabricated story to coerce information sharing: they falsely claim that the target’s bank account has already been compromised by a third fraudster using privacy manipulation tools, and assert that they are official law enforcement officers working to recover the supposedly stolen funds. To move forward with this fake recovery process, the scammers demand that targets share photos of personal identifying documents including national ID cards and bank cards, alongside other sensitive private records under the guise of identity verification.
The TBPS has moved quickly to debunk this fraudulent framing, emphasizing that the individuals behind these calls have no connection whatsoever to the national police force. In a clear statement clarifying official protocol, the service confirmed that Barbados police would never under any circumstances ask the public to share, display, or verify sensitive personal information — including national ID details, bank card numbers, banking credentials, online account passwords, PINs, or any other private confidential data — via WhatsApp, video calls, social media platforms, or any other digital communication channel.
To protect residents from falling victim to the scam, authorities are urging all Barbadians to remain extremely vigilant when receiving unsolicited communications from people claiming to be law enforcement. The advisory outlines clear steps for anyone approached by scammers: immediately end the interaction, do not engage with any demands, and never disclose any personal or financial information, regardless of how convincing the caller’s claims or branding may seem. The TBPS confirmed that it has launched a full, comprehensive investigation into the scam to identify the perpetrators and prevent further victimization.