Security Scandal Deepens in BPO Industry as PM Launches Investigation

Concerns are growing tonight over Belize’s BPO industry, as yet another private company has come forward, saying it’s been hit by a sophisticated credit card scam that’s cost them thousands. What’s even more alarming is that all signs point to the scheme originating from within the sector itself. The situation has now grabbed the attention of the Prime Minister, who confirms that a formal investigation is already in motion. And as more affected businesses speak out, the true scale of the problem is coming into focus, raising major questions about data security, accountability, and the stability of one of the country’s biggest employers. News Five’s Paul Lopez has the story.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

The Business Process Outsourcing sector remains under serious scrutiny tonight. A second private company has now stepped forward, publicly revealing it has lost thousands of dollars to an elaborate credit card scam, one that appears to trace right back to the BPO industry. And now, Prime Minister John Briceño is weighing in, confirming that a formal investigation is underway into an industry that employs thousands of Belizeans. The revelation is raising fresh questions about oversight, data security, and just how deep this problem really goes.

 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“It is unfortunate that this is something that happens all over the world in these BPOs where people have to give their personal information and it is unfortunate that some of the employees in the BPOs are scamming. I can tell you to the extent of the investigation going on, but there is an investigation going on.”

 

We’ve reported that some BPO employees have been bypassing their company’s PCI rules, sneaking their phones into workstations, and secretly capturing customers’ sensitive information. They then go after private businesses that rely on mobile apps. The proprietors of popular ticketing app, KwiqPass, are speaking out.

 

Delroy Fairweather, Public Relations, KwiqPass Belize

“KwiqPass has been around for some time now but more popular for the last two years and so we have really ramped up. A lot of promoters have been using the KwiqPass for their functions like sports, concerts, clubs, you name it, KwiqPass have been serving the public.”

 

KwiqPass says more than thirty thousand dollars in fraudulent credit card purchases were made on its app over two years. The company has handed over detailed data to police, and here’s what it shows. In early 2024, the Belize International Music and Food Festival, billed as the year’s biggest concert, became a prime target. KwiqPass logged over forty chargeback purchases for VIP tickets, each worth one hundred and seventy-five dollars. All of them were made with the same stolen Chase Bank card. The scammer then resold those tickets at a discount. We asked whether any of those transactions link back to BPO employees.

 

Delroy Fairweather

“We are suspecting that some of the purchases came from those cards.”

 

And it didn’t stop with that concert. The same scammer, using a fake identity with the last name Atieno, also bought tickets for a string of other events. That includes semi-pro basketball games in Belize City, six tickets to the Ultimate Glow Foam Bash in Corozal, and seats for a regional boxing match. Altogether: another ten thousand dollars in fraudulent purchases. In a separate case, KwiqPass traced stolen credit card use to a U.S. cardholder named Meyers and even identified a suspect. That information was sent to investigators, but nothing came of it.

 

Delroy Fairweather

“So what we did is update the security protocol on KwiqPass where every transaction that goes through KwiqPass has to be verified and authenticated and if that transaction has the least bit of suspicion the system flags it and the purchase does not go through.”

 

Since upgrading the security system on its ticketing app, KwiqPass has been able to automatically detect and block these fraudulent purchases, protecting event promoters and their business interests. It is important to note that while this investigation points to employees within the sector, the BPO industry is primarily made up of law-abiding citizens, a point Prime Minister Briceño emphasizes and Fairweather reiterates.

 

Prime Minister John Briceno

“As a government we have a responsibility to ensure we can keep these companies here and be able to protect their interest, because their interest is our interest and we want to be able to make sure our young people have a job. So, we are working on that and we know with the FIU, the Financial Intelligence Unit, we will continue to work on that.”
 

Delroy Fairweather

“What people need to realize and understand is that whatever actions taken now can have severe consequences, because once it is flagged that this specific BPO is compromising people’s information, you know how that work. It is just one person start complaining after the other and these BPOs will close down and these people will be out of a job. So, it is really serious.”

 

Prime Minister John Briceño is set to meet with top officials in his ministry to map out stronger security measures for the sector. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

 

We reached out to the Belize BPO Association for comments, but have yet to receive an official response.