BPO Association Speaks on Credit Card Fraud

The Belize Business Process Outsourcing Association (BBPOA) has issued a statement responding to exclusive reporting by News 5 on onoing credit card fraud within the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector.

News Five continues to investigate the sophisticated credit card scam costing local businesses thousands of dollars, with many fraudulent transactions traced to stolen payment data from within the BPO sector.

BBPOA does not deny News 5’s reporting. The Association condemned fraud and pledged support for investigations, but did not acknowledge whether any of its member companies are under active scrutiny, nor did it indicate if internal breaches may have contributed to the alleged scheme. Instead, the release focused heavily on the industry’s economic importance and compliance standards. “Any form of fraud, data misuse, or criminal activity is unacceptable,” the BBPOA said.

However, the statement did not clarify how individuals allegedly linked to the sector could access or misuse sensitive financial data if strong controls are already in place.

The Association highlighted that the industry employs between 16,000 and 20,000 Belizeans and generates about US$150 million in annual wages. While those figures underscore the sector’s economic value, they do little to answer questions about whether existing safeguards failed or whether oversight mechanisms were sufficient to prevent abuse.

The BBPOA also pointed to strict international standards, PCI DSS compliance, encryption systems, restricted access protocols, and regular third-party audits as proof of strong governance.

Although the Association said it supports a “thorough and transparent investigation,” it did not commit to publishing any findings from its own internal reviews or explain what consequences, if any, member companies could face if weaknesses are identified.

The release further states that the BBPOA is working with its members to review security protocols and reinforce compliance standards.