The legal framework
Identity fraud is prosecuted under the Larceny Act, the Forgery Act and the Computer Misuse Act. The Trinidad and Tobago Cyber Security Incident Response Team receives incident reports, and the police Fraud Squad investigates financial crime. The Data Protection Act remains largely unproclaimed, so the underlying data breach has no regulator.
Fraud and forgery offences carry identity misuse cases in Trinidad and Tobago; there is no dedicated statute. Reporting runs through the police Fraud Squad and, for online incidents, the national computer security incident response team. Banks' own fraud desks are the fastest route to stopping a payment, and the police report is what you will need for every subsequent dispute.
Key points
| Statutes | Larceny Act, Forgery Act, Computer Misuse Act |
|---|---|
| Reporting | TTPS Fraud Squad and TTCSIRT |
| Data protection | Data Protection Act 2011, largely unproclaimed |
| Credit | Credit bureaus operate but coverage is partial |
| Banking | Office of the Financial Services Ombudsman for bank disputes |
| Documents | Report a lost national ID to the Elections and Boundaries Commission |
| Financial Services Ombudsman | Free escalation for bank disputes |
| TTCSIRT | Receives cyber incident reports |
| Elections and Boundaries Commission | Issues and replaces the national identification card |
In practice
- Report to your bank in writing the same day and request a formal investigation.
- File a report with the TTPS Fraud Squad and keep the reference.
- Escalate to the Financial Services Ombudsman if the bank refuses to refund.
- Replace any compromised identity document promptly.
- Escalate to the Financial Services Ombudsman if the bank declines your claim.
Where to go
- TTPS Fraud Squad.
- Office of the Financial Services Ombudsman.
- TTCSIRT.
Worth knowing
The Financial Services Ombudsman handles complaints against banks free of charge and is the most effective escalation when a bank declines a fraud claim. The Ombudsman is free and is the most effective escalation available when a bank refuses a fraud claim.
Frequently asked questions
Who investigates fraud here?
The police Fraud Squad for financial crime and the national computer security incident response team for online incidents; banks also run internal fraud units that act far faster than either. Report to the bank first, then to the police, and keep the report number.
What should you do in the first hour?
Call your bank and freeze the affected accounts and cards, change the passwords on your email first and then on everything linked to it, and turn on two-factor authentication. Take screenshots of everything before anything is deleted. Then report to the police and keep the reference number: banks, lenders and telecom operators will ask for it before they reverse anything.
Official sources and links
- UN Human Rights Office — ratified treaties and country reviews
- ILO NATLEX — national legislation database