Patrick Vernon

Jamaica Cyber Incident Response Team Issues Urgent

Warning About Fraudulent Hurricane Melissa Donation

Websites

Public Advised to Use Only Official Government Website for Donations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kingston, Jamaica – October 29, 2025 – The Jamaica Cyber Incident Response

Team (JaCIRT) is issuing an urgent alert to the public in Jamaica and worldwide regarding the emergence of fraudulent websites attempting to exploit generosity in the wake of Hurricane Melissa. JaCIRT’s monitoring systems have detected multiple suspicious domains currently under development that appear designed to divert hurricane relief donations away from legitimate channels. These malicious actors are creating fake websites with names deliberately similar to Jamaica’s official donation portal.

IDENTIFIED FRAUDULENT DOMAINS

The following domains have been identified as suspicious and should NOT be used

for donations:

• jamaicahurricanehelp.net

• jamaicahurricanehelp.org

• jamaica-hurricane-help.com

• melissareliefjamaica.net

• melissareliefjamaica.com

• melissareliefjamaica.org

• supportjamaicagovjm.com

• supportjamaicagovjm.net

All identified sites are currently showing that they are in varying stages of development but JaCIRT suspects that these sites may become active in the coming days.

 

THE OFFICIAL DONATION CHANNEL

The ONLY legitimate government website for Hurricane Melissa relief donations is:

https://www.supportjamaica.gov.jm

Please verify you see “.gov.jm” at the end of the web address before making any donation.

 

HOW SHOULD YOUR PROTECT YOURSELF?

To protect yourself and ensure your donation reaches those in need:

• Verify the URL carefully – The official site ends in .gov.jm (NOT .com, .net,

or .org)

• Type the address directly – Do not click links in unsolicited emails or social

media messages

• Look for security indicators – Ensure the site shows “https://” and a padlock

icon

• Be suspicious of urgent requests – Scammers create artificial urgency to

bypass your careful judgment

• Research any organization – If donating through a charity, verify its

legitimacy through independent sources

 

WHAT TO DO IF YOU ENCOUNTER A SUSPICIOUS SITE

If you discover a website claiming to collect Hurricane Melissa donations:

• Do NOT enter any personal or financial information

• Do NOT make any payments

• Report the site immediately to JaCIRT at Jamaica.cirt@opm.gov.jm

• Share this warning with friends and family

 

MESSAGE TO INTERNATIONAL DONORS

The Government of Jamaica recognizes and deeply appreciates the global outpouring of support for Jamaica during this difficult time. We urge all international donors to exercise caution and use only the official government portal. Your generosity should reach those who need it most, not criminal enterprises.

 

ONGOING MONITORING

JaCIRT continues to actively monitor for additional fraudulent domains and is working with international cybersecurity partners and domain registrars to shut down these malicious operations. The public will be notified of any developments.

Hurricane Melissa has caused significant damage across Jamaica, and the need for legitimate assistance is real and urgent. By staying vigilant against these scams, we can ensure that charitable donations reach the Jamaican people who desperately need support.

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For More Information:

Jamaica Cyber Incident Response Team (JaCIRT)

Email: jamaica.cirt@opm.gov.jm, godphey.sterling@opm.gov.jm

Website: www.jacirt.gov.jm

Official Donation Portal:

supportjamaica.gov.jm