The Department of Health is advising Bermuda businesses and members of the public to be aware of a fraudulent email and document currently circulating that falsely claims to be issued by the Department of Health's Environmental Health Section.
The false notice alleges that a business has committed public health violations and demands payment of an administrative fine in cryptocurrency (USDC) via the Solana blockchain network. The document also threatens immediate closure of the establishment if payment is not made within 24 hours.
Minister of Health, Kim Wilson, JP, MP said: “We want to make it absolutely clear that this notice is fraudulent and was not issued by the Department of Health, the Department of Public Health, or the Environmental Health Section.”
No legitimate Government of Bermuda enforcement notice will ever require payment by cryptocurrency or to a digital wallet address.
The Government of Bermuda inspectors do not issue fines or enforcement notices that require payment in cryptocurrency, nor do they direct payments to blockchain wallet addresses. Any communication requesting payment through cryptocurrency should be treated as suspicious.
The fraudulent notice contains several indicators of a scam, including:
- Requests for payment in cryptocurrency (USDC) through a digital wallet.
- Threats of immediate closure unless payment is made within an extremely short timeframe.
- Instructions to send payment confirmation to an unofficial email address.
- References to Government enforcement processes that do not reflect official Ministry procedures.
- Attempts to pressure recipients into making immediate payments to avoid public disclosure.
Minister Wilson added, “I encourage all businesses to exercise caution when receiving unsolicited notices claiming to be from Government departments.
“Carefully examine the sender's email address when receiving communications that claim to be from Government departments. Official correspondence from the Government of Bermuda is issued through authorised Government email accounts ending in @gov.bm. Recipients should be cautious of messages sent from personal or non-government email addresses that purport to represent Government officials or departments.”
Anyone who receives such a communication should:
- Not make any payment.
- Not respond to the sender.
- Preserve the email and any attachments.
- Report the matter to the Bermuda Police Service Cybercrime Unit.
- Contact the Environmental Health Section directly to verify the authenticity of any inspection or enforcement communication.
- Do not scan any QR codes, click on any links, or follow any payment instructions contained in the communication, as doing so could expose you to fraud or cybercrime
The Department of Health also reminds businesses that if someone visits them claiming to be an Environmental Health Officer, they should ask to see their identification. If they are visited or telephoned, they can always contact our office on 246-7766 to verify the officer is genuine.
Businesses and members of the public are encouraged to remain vigilant and to independently verify any request for payment or enforcement action that appears unusual or suspicious.
