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Grenada’s top financial oversight body, the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), has issued two urgent public alerts to warn local residents about two increasingly common financial fraud schemes that have targeted people in the country recently: money mule scams and smishing attacks targeting bank customers.

The first scam, the money mule scheme, preys on people seeking quick, easy side income by exploiting their personal bank accounts to move stolen funds out of Grenada’s borders. Scammers typically initiate contact through a friend or an unexpected online connection, offering a casual job that requires the target to simply allow funds to be deposited into their personal account in exchange for a cut of the money. Once stolen funds are transferred into the target’s account, the scammers instruct the target to withdraw the full sum and forward the majority of it to an overseas account via local money service remittance providers, letting the target keep a small portion as payment for their role. The FIU emphasizes that participating in this scheme is not a harmless side gig—it is a serious criminal offense. Anyone who agrees to let their account be used to receive and transfer these illicit funds can face charges for money laundering and handling proceeds of crime, which carry penalties including heavy fines and imprisonment. To avoid falling victim and facing legal consequences, the FIU urges residents to never share personal bank account details to support unvetted, illegitimate transactions, never withdraw or transfer funds that are not rightfully their own. If approached by scammers, individuals should contact their bank immediately and file a report with the FIU right away.

Alongside the money mule warning, the FIU also issued an alert about a surge in smishing attacks—fraudulent text messaging campaigns that specifically target Grenadian bank customers. These scams use fake text messages sent from local Grenadian phone numbers to trick recipients. The messages typically claim the recipient’s bank account has been suspended or that suspicious unusual activity has been detected, and include a clickable link that claims to let the user fix the issue immediately. While these messages and accompanying fake pages are often designed to look identical to legitimate bank communications, they are entirely fraudulent. If a recipient clicks the link, they are redirected to a convincing fake bank website that mirrors the design of a real local bank portal. When targets enter their full banking credentials—including their full name, account password, authentication codes, and registered email address—the stolen information is immediately sent to the criminals behind the scam. With this access, scammers can take full control of the victim’s bank account and linked email, then transfer all available funds out of the account within hours. Even if the account holds no balance at the time of the attack, the account and personal information remain permanently compromised.

To protect against smishing attacks, the FIU outlines clear safety guidelines that all bank customers should follow. Consumers should never click links included in unsolicited text messages or emails claiming to be from their bank, and should never share personal or banking-sensitive information through SMS links or third-party web portals. One-time passwords and two-factor authentication codes should never be shared with any third party, even someone claiming to be a bank representative. Instead of clicking links from messages, users should always manually type their bank’s official web address into their browser to access their account. Any message claiming account issues should be verified by calling the bank directly through its official publicly listed contact number. If an individual realizes they have already fallen victim to a smishing attack, they are instructed to contact their bank immediately to lock the account, change all passwords for both online banking and linked email accounts, and submit a full report to the FIU for investigation. A key reminder from the FIU: no legitimate bank will ever ask customers to verify or restore their account access via a text message link. The core rule of thumb for consumers to avoid this scam is simple: don’t click, don’t share, don’t send sensitive information.

This public advisory is released by the Financial Intelligence Unit of Grenada, with the outlet NOW Grenada noting that it does not take responsibility for opinions or content shared by contributing official bodies, and provides a channel for users to report abusive content if encountered.

After four days of targeted industry discussions and collaborative engagements, the Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA) has wrapped up a high-stakes sales mission in Guyana, laying new groundwork for expanded tourism cooperation between the two Caribbean neighbours. The core goal of the mission was to strengthen existing bilateral tourism partnerships and unlock untapped growth pathways that benefit both island nations.

A central priority of the GTA’s outreach centered on the fast-expanding Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events (MICE) sector. During one-on-one and group sessions with Guyanese corporate stakeholders, GTA representatives showcased Grenada’s world-class event infrastructure and proven ability to host everything from small executive retreats to large-scale regional professional forums. These presentations positioned Grenada’s tri-island destination as a flexible, attractive option for the Guyanese business community seeking unique event locations outside traditional markets.

Beyond corporate and MICE-focused travel, the mission also included structured technical briefings with local travel trade partners in Guyana. These sessions updated industry stakeholders on the latest developments across Grenada’s tourism ecosystem, from ongoing upgrades to airlift connectivity between the two countries to the rapid expansion of Grenada’s luxury and boutique accommodation offerings. Representatives also outlined plans for new custom-curated travel experiences tailored to the varied preferences of Guyana’s local population and large expatriate community.

Tornia Charles, Chief Marketing Officer at the GTA, emphasized the strategic logic behind the mission, noting that Guyana’s rapidly evolving economy has driven equally rapid shifts in the travel habits and expectations of its residents. “This mission was designed to align our tourism product with those shifting demands, ensuring that Grenada’s business and experiential offerings directly meet the rising expectations of this maturing market,” Charles explained.

The outcomes of the in-country engagements align closely with the GTA’s broader regional development goals, with insights and feedback collected during the mission set to shape the authority’s future marketing campaigns and trade support initiatives.

Melinda Telesford, Marketing Executive at the GTA, added that the on-the-ground engagement gave the GTA team unparalleled insight into the needs of Guyanese travelers. “This mission allowed us to go beyond the surface and truly understand the pulse of the Guyanese traveller. We found a remarkable alignment between Guyana’s growing professional class and Grenada’s diverse experiential offerings, which will allow us to curate a bespoke marketing roadmap for this market moving forward,” Telesford said.

By targeting both the fast-growing corporate MICE segment and the rising demand for premium leisure travel, the GTA is moving beyond conventional destination promotion to build a long-term, sustainable cross-Caribbean tourism corridor. This strategic positioning ensures that as Guyana’s travel market continues to mature, Grenada is well-prepared to welcome a new wave of discerning, experienced travelers seeking unique Caribbean getaways.

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