TAJ cashier sentenced under Cybercrimes Act

Claudine Morgan, a cashier from the Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) was sentenced on May 29, to a fine of $100,000 or six months imprisonment at hard labour on a charge of possession of data device 

Morgan, who was arrested and charged in 2013, was also sentenced to six months imprisonment at hard labour suspended for two years on a charge of possession of identity information.

This after pleading guilty in the St James Resident Magistrate’s Court to charges laid against her by the Revenue Protection Division (RPD) under the Cybercrimes Act. 

This conviction is significant in light of the increase in cybercrimes, and is the first such conviction for the RPD under this piece of legislation.

The court was told the Morgan was assigned to perform cashier duties at the Firearm Licensing Authority‘s Montego Bay office.  

While performing these duties, Morgan used a ‘skimming’ device to capture data from debit cards presented to her by persons paying for firearm licences.  

The full investigation revealed that information obtained in this manner was passed to others and these customers were subsequently defrauded of sums by way of withdrawals from ATMs.