BOJ monitoring JETS cyber incident, urges public to be vigilant

The Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) says it is working with Jamaica Electronic Transfer Services (JETS) Limited, member financial institutions, and national authorities following a cyber incident at the company.

JETS, which operates the MultiLink debit card and Automated Clearing House (ACH) networks, reported today that the breach affected a limited part of its internal administrative systems.

The company said the breach may have exposed historical debit card numbers and customer names linked to ACH transactions.

In a statement on Friday, the BOJ said the MultiLink and ACH payment networks were not affected and remain fully operational, allowing customers to continue using their debit cards and making ACH payments as normal.

The central bank said that, based on information provided by JETS, files accessed during the incident may have exposed some card numbers contained in historical administrative data on the debit network, as well as the names of some customers who received transfers through the ACH network.

However, it noted that personal identification numbers (PINs), card verification values (CVVs) and card expiry dates were not affected, as those details are not stored in the systems involved.

JETS said its Cyber Monitoring Team had detected suspicious activity within a limited section of its domain.

The company said it immediately shut down the affected administrative system, isolated the area and launched a full forensic investigation.

The investigation, conducted with specialist cybersecurity consultants, found no evidence that the MultiLink or ACH payment networks had been compromised, it said.

The company also said it and its member financial institutions had taken steps to protect the integrity of the payment systems and safeguard customer information.

The BOJ said protecting Jamaican consumers and maintaining the integrity of the country's payment system remained its priorities.

“The Bank is working closely with JETS, the member financial institutions and our national partners to support the response to this incident and to protect customers,” it said.

The central bank also supported JETS' decision to inform the public, describing transparency and coordinated action as the appropriate response.

It said further updates would be provided as necessary.

As a precaution, the BOJ is encouraging members of the public to regularly review their accounts and card transactions through their respective online platforms, monitor bank alerts and promptly report any unfamiliar transactions to their financial institutions.

Customers are also being urged to exercise caution when dealing with unsolicited calls, text messages, emails or social media messages concerning their cards or accounts, including communications claiming to come from their banks, JETS or the BOJ.

The central bank warned that such messages could be attempts at fraud.

It further reminded customers never to share their PINs, CVVs, one-time passwords or online banking login details, noting that legitimate institutions would not request such information.

Anyone with concerns is advised to contact their financial institution directly using the telephone number on the back of their card or the contact details published on the institution's official website.

Follow The Gleaner on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.