Public Warning:

Fraudulent Websites: A.F.S.C. Aruba Financial Services Commission and Interbank Aruba NV

The Central Bank of Aruba (CBA) warns the public of two fraudulent websites, i.e. https://arubafsc.org and https://interbankaruba.com.

The first fraudulent website, operated by the so-called A.F.S.C Aruba Financial Services Commission, is purporting to be the single regulatory body for the financial services business in Aruba and uses the address and telephone numbers of the CBA as their contact information. On May 31, 2023, the British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission already issued a public warning on this fraudulent website, urging the public to exercise extreme caution. The International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) issued an investor alert on the fraudulent website in question on June 15, 2023 as well.

The second fraudulent website poses as a commercial bank and uses the name of a former Aruban commercial bank, namely Interbank Aruba NV. The CBA has reason to believe that the two websites are linked and/or run by the same (group of) people. The CBA received reports that the AFSC has urged people to open an account on the website of Interbank Aruba NV to either invest money in e.g. securities/derivatives or to receive a reimbursement of costs. Some have lost significant amounts of money.

The CBA urges the public not to click on any link that is related to these two fraudulent websites and refrain from entering any personal information on said websites.

How to protect yourself from such scams?

• Do not enter any personal information on a website unless you are sure that it is the legitimate website of the public authority you are trying to access;
• If you are unsure whether a website is legitimate, contact the relevant public authorities directly to verify.

If you have been scammed

If you have entered your personal information on a fraudulent website, you should take the following steps:

• Contact your bank or credit card company immediately and let them know that you may have been a victim of fraud.
• Change the passwords for all of your online accounts, including your email, bank, and credit card accounts.
• Monitor your bank and credit card statements for any fraudulent transactions.

If you encounter a fraudulent website, please report it to the relevant authorities (i.e. the police or the public prosecutor’s office). By reporting the scam, you can help to protect others from falling victim to it!

Centrale Bank van Aruba

October 20, 2023

Read in Papiamento, Dutch and English:

Aviso Publico Website Fraudulento

Publieke waarschuwing Frauduleuze websites

Public Warning Fraudulent Websites