Major Organized Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) Cyber Investigations and Risk Management Unit agents spent much of Thursday cracking down on cybercrime activities in Kingston, St Andrew, and St Catherine where they seized a number of devices.

According to MOCA Director of Communications Major Basil Jarrett, the crackdown formed part of an ongoing cybercrime investigation.

“MOCA agents went to the target locations at about 6:00 am today (Thursday) and searched a number of premises for material that we believe can assist in an investigation. We are unable to say anything further, however, as the investigation and operations are ongoing, but the public will be apprised as the situation dictates,” Major Jarrett said, adding that searches were conducted at four premises in Duhaney Park and Portmore combined.

The number of cybercrime cases before the courts was not immediately available on Thursday; however, law enforcers have told the Jamaica Observer that there has been an increase in the activity this year.

In May 2022 a World Bank report noted that female Internet users face a higher number of cybercrime incidents and online harassment while also being at an increased risk of financial data loss, violations of privacy, and security breaches.

According to an Organization of American States (OAS) white paper on the cybersecurity of women during the COVID-19 pandemic, digital ‘sextortion’ strategies increased significantly during the period, with a major gender slant, focusing on women and girls.

In November 2022, local cybersecurity expert Trevor Forrest told the Observer in an interview that, without knowing it, women are giving detailed information of almost every move on the Internet.

“Generally, women have become the most targeted individuals online; it’s staggering the kind of statistics out there. Be mindful of the pictures and the videos that you post. A lot of women don’t realise the amount of personal information that they share when they go online, in doing these things. It can escalate as high up as personal contact, abuse, rape, murder,” he warned.

Forrest also pointed out that one area of vulnerability for women, which leaves them open to financial and other scams, is online shopping.

“They tend to sometimes on their most popular shopping sites online, out of convenience, enter a lot of information about themselves — addresses, phone numbers, their credit card information. If any of those bits of information gets compromised, suddenly a whole bunch of people, especially on the dark web, now have access to your information,” he explained.