Fraudulent Website bvima.uk Impersonating Government Agencies
The Government of the Virgin Islands has issued a public alert about a fraudulent website, www.bvima.uk, and its linked registration page bvima.uk/registration that falsely claims affiliation with the Virgin Islands Shipping and Maritime Authority (VISMA) and the Government of the Virgin Islands. Preliminary government reviews indicate the site may be harvesting personal data; authorities are monitoring the situation, filing reports with international cyber and anti-fraud bodies, and urging residents, businesses and visitors to exercise extreme caution.
The Government of the Virgin Islands has warned the public about a fraudulent website, www.bvima.uk, and its linked registration page bvima.uk/registration that is impersonating the Virgin Islands Shipping and Maritime Authority (VISMA) and other government agencies. In a public alert released by the Government, officials say the fake site references the BVI Tourism Act, 2024 and falsely claims visitors are required to enter personal information.
The Government has made clear it has no association with the website and that no such visitor-registration requirement exists. According to the Government of the Virgin Islands, preliminary reviews of the site suggest it may be attempting to harvest personal data from unsuspecting users.
The impersonation of maritime and government agencies is particularly worrying for the Territory given the importance of shipping, tourism and international business services to the BVI economy. The Government says individuals and businesses that respond to such requests risk exposing passports, travel plans, banking details and company information.
Relevant government departments have been notified and the Government is taking steps to file appropriate reports with international cybersecurity and anti-fraud authorities, the public alert states. The Office of the Premier and the Department of Information Technology (DoIT) are actively monitoring the situation and coordinating the investigation.
The Government is also prepared to work with international partners to have the fraudulent site investigated and taken down where possible. Residents, businesses and visitors are urged to exercise extreme caution. The Government specifically advises people to avoid clicking unfamiliar links or websites claiming government affiliation without verification; to be cautious opening emails that request personal information, payments, or login credentials; and to verify official information only through government-owned websites ending in .gov or .vg.
Official online sources include www.bvi.gov.vg and the Virgin Islands Shipping and Maritime Authority at www.bvimaritime.vg, according to the Government notice. If you have already interacted with the fraudulent site, preserve evidence such as screenshots and emails, change passwords immediately, and contact your bank or service providers if financial information was shared.
Report the incident to the Government’s Department of Information Technology and local police. Businesses should notify staff and customers if their data may have been exposed and consider credit monitoring or other protective services. New contact and media information provided by the Government of the Virgin Islands notes Karia Christopher as Director of Communications (Tel: 284 468 9570; Email: KChristopher@gov.vg).
For international media enquiries the Government lists BVIGovernment@dgagroup.com. The Government also reminds the public that central services are available through the main government portal, www.bvi.gov.vg, and via phone at 1 (284) 468-3701 or WhatsApp at 1 (284) 468-9760. The Government’s communications office says it will coordinate further updates as the investigation continues and reiterated its commitment to protecting residents and promoting good governance and sustainable development in the Territory.
Primary source: BVI Government