The Jamaica Star :: News :: Boycott email targets National Commercial Bank (NCB)

Jonique Gaynor, Staff Reporter

The National Commercial Bank (NCB) is concerned about an email that is being circulated by persons claiming to be investors of Cash Plus, World wise and Olint.

The email which has been forwarded to several individuals, urges recipients to immediately close all NCB accounts.

NCB's public relations and corporate affairs manager, Belinda Williams, told THE STAR, "It is of concern to us because it is putting the company's reputation and image in disrepute. It is a viral mail so it spreads really fast and everyone is adding something else to it."

Rational and responsible

She said the company was looking at the matter to decide on the best way to "manage and counteract this." She also appealed for customers to be rational and responsible and to "not be a party to the circulation of information that, to a large extent, is not without fault or flaw".

The email blames the organisation for the downfall of the schemes and calls on all NCB account holders to withdraw their funds as a collective gesture of their objection.

One section of the email declares, "... let us as investors, who are most affected, show our support and solidarity with these institutions by closing all our NCB accounts ..."

The message also encourages recipients to, "Pass this on to everybody you know and add your story ..."

Tek out everything

One World Wise and Cash Plus investor, Ray Alexander, who admitted to forwarding the message, told THE STAR, "I have three accounts with NCB. I have the Omni, which I just closed and tek mi money to [another bank]. I had a US account, which I basically tek out everything an jus leave like $100 and I had another local account and I just took out all the money and move it."

He explained that the returns he received from his investments made a difference in his way of life and said, "It was coming in like clockwork, not because of Cash Plus, but because of these people.

We need to take some placards and go up there. Poor people need to stand up as one. We can make a difference. We need to withdraw our money. Even if it's just a dollar, we need to show them that we don't need them and that we're in control."

Chris Gouldbourne, vice- president of Cash Plus, told THE STAR that he was not aware of the email. However, when asked whether the company supported such a move, he said, " I really don't have a comment on that."