Caribbean News
Jamaicans Encouraged to Report Cyberattacks
By: Rocheda Bartley
(JIS)
#Jamaica, June 6, 2022 – The use of technology should make life easier, but in some cases, it is utilised by nefarious persons to carry out vicious cyberattacks.
Quite often people fall victim to fraudsters who swindle their money through cyberattacks, like smishing and vishing.
The former is the social engineering practice of sending fraudulent text messages to convince people to share personal identifiable information, such as credit card numbers and banking details, while the latter gathers these particulars through telephone calls.
Although these hacks are not new, Head of the Jamaica Cyber Incidence Response Team (JaCIRT), Lieutenant Colonel Godphey Sterling, laments that they are largely under-reported.
He is encouraging victims to speak up, as their silence hampers the organisation’s ability to fully grasp the magnitude of the situation and take the necessary actions for redress.
“We measure yearly reports in concert with the financial year. So, from April last year to March this year, we would have had about 29 such attacks reported. But when we do our monitoring, we are seeing significantly more indication that this is a problem. And oftentimes, when we see these indicators and reach out to potential or actual victims, they are unwilling to participate in a process of remediation,” Lt. Col. Sterling tells JIS News.
He is urging persons who believe they are victims of a cyberattack, particularly any of these social engineering attacks, to report the matter to the law-enforcement agencies, such as the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) or JaCIRT.
Last month (May), there was an uptick in the reported cases within the banking industry.
Manager for Special Investigations with the National Commercial Bank (NCB) Fraud Prevention Unit, Dane Nicholson, says this institution has always had issues where one or two customers have become victims of these attacks.
He explains that fraudsters send text messages to random numbers, and once someone responds they know they have made a hit.
Usually, these messages have a link that drives persons to a web page that prompts them to enter their information. From here, the defrauders will get sufficient information to call these individuals, pretend to be an NCB employee and execute a vishing.
While the immediate reported cases involve NCB customers only, the institution is not the sole bank where customers come under attack. This is evidenced by persons who receive text messages that purport suspicious activities in their bank accounts at an establishment with which they are not affiliated.
Like NCB, the going attacks have prompted JaCIRT to ramp up its year-long public education and awareness campaigns.
Lt. Col. Sterling informs that protecting oneself in cyberspace usually has three dimensions. One is the personal responsibility to recognise that the tools used to access online resources, or to work in cyberspace, must be used with regard for safety and security. Therefore, individuals cannot dismiss their personal responsibility for safely navigating cyberspace.
Number two is that businesses are now obligated to protect the personally identifiable information of their clients.
And stressing the third, as he commits to carrying out JaCIRT’s mandate, Lt. Col. Sterling says the “Government has a duty to provide a framework within which all of this can take place as securely as possible”.
“We have the JaCIRT and the Information Commissioner, among others, including law-enforcement [bodies]. So, persons are encouraged to get out of that feeling of being a victim or not wanting to be seen as a victim and report these crimes whenever they occur,” he says.
Lt. Col. Sterling points out that there is no 100 per cent safe way to navigate through cyberspace and is appealing to online users to be careful how they answer calls from unknown numbers.
The same diligence must be taken when responding to SMS messages, clicking on links, or downloading attachments from emails.
“If the senders are unknown or known to you and the context or subject headings look suspicious, just double check. And the same way you treat an email, you really need to treat an SMS message, because the sophistication with which these messages are created is very similar to how emails and web pages are designed,” he says.
Meanwhile, Director of Information Technology at the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Omar Gentles, is encouraging persons to explore the privacy policy of websites as well.
This is especially as the Cybercrime Act 2010 and Data Protection Act (2020) protect online users that only operate within the Jamaican jurisdiction.
He notes that even though victims of online fraud are, indeed, consumers, there’s little that the Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) can do to help with loss recovery in smishing and vishing attacks.
“When it comes on to it helping consumers to deal with online fraud that has taken place or is suspected, the CAC can only really offer guidance at this moment. This is in terms of helping you to reach out to the different entities that can really help, such as the fraud squad. So, you must be very careful and make sure that you do diligence in assessing sites and making the right decision about using them,” Mr. Gentles says.
The CAC is a government agency that informs, educates, and empowers consumers to protect themselves in the marketplace.
By Deandrea Hamilton | Editor
September 28, 2026 – Wall Street initially flinched at the $3-billion handshake. But in a matter of days, it was smoother sailing.
Perhaps the bigger Caribbean business story is not what Sandals Resorts International is getting from the deal. It is who is writing the
cheque — and what that says about what Gordon “Butch” Stewart built.
As reports of Royal Caribbean Group’s Sandals deal circulated Tuesday, RCL shares plunged 6.14 percent from Monday’s $250.25 close to $234.89, on sharply elevated trading.
When the agreement became official Wednesday — approximately $3 billion for a 50 percent equity interest in Sandals and Beaches Resorts — shares slipped another 1.95 percent to $230.30 and touched $222.22 intraday. Investors were digesting both the size of the investment and committed debt financing secured through Morgan Stanley.
But by Thursday, RCL rebounded 3.77 percent, with shares continuing their recovery Friday to finish the week around $243. Analysts were also looking ahead: JPMorgan reportedly raised its RCL price target from $345 to $394, while Citi placed the company on a 90-day positive catalyst watch.
And just who is RCL?
Royal Caribbean Group is a global vacation giant, publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange with a market value of roughly $65 billion. Its portfolio includes Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea, alongside private destinations and an
expanding vacation platform.
So when a company of that scale commits $3 billion for only half of Sandals and Beaches Resorts, the transaction puts a striking financial marker on one of the Caribbean’s greatest home-grown hospitality success stories.
The deal, expected to close in early 2027, creates a 50-50 partnership with the Stewart family and takes Royal Caribbean deeper into the all-inclusive resort business.
Butch Stewart started Sandals in Jamaica in 1981 believing a Caribbean company could compete with the world’s best.
Forty-five years later, one of the world’s biggest vacation companies is prepared to pay $3 billion just to own half of what he built.
Now that’s the handshake that does more than seal a deal — it cements a legacy.
Caribbean News
Royal Caribbean Group and Sandals Resorts Announce Landmark Partnership to Accelerate Their Leading Vacation Experiences
Royal Caribbean Group Investment to Advance Sandals and Beaches’ Growth and Broaden the Group’s Vacation Portfolio
Montego Bay, Jamaica and Miami, September 24, 2026 – Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL) and Sandals Resorts today announced the signing of an agreement to form a partnership in the all-inclusive resort space with a 50% investment from Royal Caribbean Group. Building on Sandals and Beaches Resorts’ more than four decades of leadership in Caribbean hospitality, the joint venture will create new opportunities for continued resort growth while broadening the experiences across Royal Caribbean Group’s vacation platform.
The partnership brings together two of the travel industry’s most celebrated vacation companies, pairing Sandals and Beaches’ all-inclusive resort expertise with Royal Caribbean Group’s vacation platform, including industry-leading brands – Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea – a portfolio of private destinations, new river cruising offering, and an industry-first loyalty program. United in a shared history in the Caribbean and connected by a love for their communities, the companies will offer travelers an unparalleled collection of cruise, private destination and resort experiences, serving guests across more vacation occasions and establishing their undisputed leadership in Caribbean vacations.
The joint venture expands Royal Caribbean Group into an adjacent vacation category, growing its participation in the approximately $2 trillion global vacation market, and meets the growing global demand for Sandals and Beaches Resorts by accelerating their expansion. The partnership will include Sandals and Beaches’ collection of premier all-inclusive properties across the Caribbean, and the companies will explore opportunities to broaden distribution, deepen guest engagement, and make it easier for travelers to discover vacation experiences offered across both portfolios.
“For nearly 60 years, we’ve reimagined what a vacation can be, constantly expanding the ways we inspire our guests to explore, connect and create lifelong memories,” said Jason Liberty, Chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group. “We have been building a vacation platform that brings joy to millions of people around the world and creates meaningful relationships that last with our guests. Our partnership with
Sandals and Beaches Resorts is an important next step on that journey – bringing together two iconic leading vacation companies to further strengthen and grow one of the most admired resort portfolios in the world. The Stewart family has created powerful and beloved brands, and we are honored to build on that legacy. Together, we see tremendous opportunity to expand the reach of Sandals and Beaches Resorts and continue turning the vacation of a lifetime into a lifetime of vacations.”
“My father, Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, founded Sandals Resorts with the belief that a company built in the Caribbean could stand on the world stage alongside the most respected names in hospitality. Today is proof of how far that vision can go,” said Adam Stewart, Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts. “This partnership is the natural next step in building on that conviction. It gives us the ability to grow faster with a partner that shares our values of exceptional hospitality, long-term investment, and the power of enduring brands. Together, we will introduce more guests to Sandals and Beaches Resorts while creating even more extraordinary experiences for those who have made our resorts part of their lives for decades.” Stewart added, “As we continue to grow, we will remain true to what has always defined us: delivering authentic vacations that exceed expectations while creating opportunities for our team members, travel advisor partners and the communities we call home. The future has never been brighter, and I know this moment would make my father incredibly proud.”
The joint venture will be governed by a board under the shared leadership of Stewart and Liberty. Stewart will maintain a leadership role in
guiding the company’s long-term strategic growth as Executive Chairman of Sandals and Beaches Resorts. Existing reservations, loyalty programs, resort operations and cruise operations will continue as usual, with the partnership bringing additional resources to support future opportunities.
Under the terms of the agreement, Royal Caribbean Group will acquire a 50% equity interest in Sandals and Beaches Resorts for approximately $3 billion, representing a forward EBITDA multiple of approximately 10x. Royal Caribbean Group has secured committed debt financing from Morgan Stanley to fund the investment. The transaction is expected to close in early 2027, subject to customary approvals and closing conditions, and is expected to be accretive to earnings next year.
BofA Securities and PJT Partners acted as financial advisors, and Latham & Watkins and Jones Day acted as legal advisors to the Sandals Group. Perella Weinberg Partners and Morgan Stanley acted as financial advisors and Kirkland & Ellis LLP acted as legal advisor to Royal Caribbean Group.
PHOTO CAPTION: Jason Liberty, Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, and Adam Stewart, Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts, mark the signing of an agreement to form a landmark partnership that expands Royal Caribbean Group into the all-inclusive resort space and supports the future growth of Sandals and Beaches Resorts. The signing took place at Royal Caribbean Group’s new headquarters in Miami, with the city’s skyline in the background.
The Caribbean tourism deal first reported as a possibility on Tuesday is now a signed agreement. Royal Caribbean Group plans to pay
approximately US$3 billion for a 50% stake in Sandals and Beaches Resorts, putting the value of the business at about US$6 billion. The purchase is expected to close in early 2027, subject to approvals.
Founded in Jamaica by the late Gordon “Butch” Stewart in 1981, the resort business has a presence across nine Caribbean destinations, including Jamaica, The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos. Sandals has described its workforce as nearly 20,000 people, most of them Caribbean nationals.
“My father, Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, founded Sandals Resorts with the belief that a company built in the Caribbean could stand on the world stage alongside the most respected names in hospitality,” said Adam Stewart in the announcement carried by PR Newswire. He will remain executive chairman, while the Stewart family retains a stake. The companies say existing reservations and resort operations will continue as usual.
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