Haitians decry racketeering in cash-strapped money transfer agencies during holiday season

FORT-LIBERTÉ —  Across Haiti’s provincial cities, individuals collecting remittances from loved ones have reported widespread scams and extortion, particularly during the Christmas and New Year period. The holiday season, typically a time of celebration, has instead brought stress and financial exploitation for Haitians navigating dishonest practices at money transfer agencies.

The diaspora’s remittances provide support to many Haitian families often enabling them to afford essentials, celebrate special occasions, and care for their relatives. 

However, the surge in money transfers during the holiday season has turned transfer agencies into hotspots for exploitation by dishonest agents and security personnel. Instances of misconduct include agents imposing unauthorized fees and security guards collaborating to extort money from customers. These illegal activities have become more prevalent, especially during the holidays when some agencies in the provinces struggle with cash shortages due to disrupted transactions between Port-au-Prince and the country’s other regions. 

“I’ve been queuing since 6 a.m. It’s 2 p.m., and I still haven’t been served,” said Rénia Saint-Fleur, an elderly woman sitting at a money transfer office in Fort-Liberté. 

“There are too many people here, and there’s not enough money to remit to everyone.”

It isn’t a one-off or an isolated occurrence

While exact figures remain unavailable, multiple victims recounted their experiences of extortion and scams at various money transfer locations to The Haitian Times.

A young woman who spoke to The Haitian Times on the condition of anonymity due to safety concerns claimed that a security guard promised to help her receive the $150 sent to her by a cousin based in Boston, Massachusetts if she paid him $20. Several others have reported being forced to pay additional fees on top of the official charges usually imposed on senders, which are charged at the transfer’s place of origin.

“Even if they don’t categorically ask us to pay a fee sometimes, they often use a no-change excuse to keep part of our money,” said Junias Cherenfant, 25, another recipient outside Fort-Liberté. “So, we usually end up paying even more.” 

Marcelin Lubin, a 30-year-old father of two from Port-de-Paix, the capital city of the Northwest Department, recounted similar experiences in his town. 

“A security guard demanded 1,000 gourdes or about $8 to let me in and pick up my 13,000 gourdes or $100 my brother sent me from the United States. I had to pay him just to access the cash register.”

Marcelin Lubin, A Resident of Port-de-Paix

“A security guard demanded 1,000 gourdes or about $8 to let me in and pick up my 13,000 gourdes or $100 my brother sent me from the United States. I had to pay him just to access the cash register,” Lubin told The Haitian Times.

Other scams involve forcing customers to buy products from affiliated stores to allow them to receive their remittances. Jean-Pierre Georges in Pestel, Grand-Anse Department, described being pressured to purchase items to ensure he received his money smoothly.

Expatriates also report issues. Marie Jean-Baptiste, a Haitian woman in the U.S., sent money to her family through a transfer agency before Christmas. To her shock, a family member called her to complain that he could not access the money because local agency employees had asked him to pay additional fees to allow him to pick up the money, which he refused to do.

“I thought it was a company-level change, but it seems they tried to steal from my family,” Jean-Baptiste said. “I called the money transfer’s central office in Port-au-Prince to inquire about the situation. They said that the agencies are independently owned and operated, but there has been no change in money transfer policies.”

Mariela Joseph, a mother of three in Gonaives, the capital city of the Artibonite Department, desperately waiting for the $230 sent by her relative from Miami, felt she had no choice.  She was asked to pay a $20 fee to receive her funds.

“The cashier forced me to pay a sum to receive my transfer,” Joseph told The Haitian Times. “I paid her because I knew I had no other choice. I needed the money so badly!” 

One of the most common abuses of money transfer companies is the concealment of fees. Many display the transfer rates imposed by Haiti’s central bank (BRH, per its French acronym), the sector’s regulator. Still, additional fees can quickly add up without a reliable control and verification system.

The toll on families and company response

Beyond financial loss, victims of transfer-related scams experience stress and trauma, particularly when the funds are meant to cover essential needs.

“Losing money to a scam or an extorsion, especially during the holidays, can be extremely stressful and traumatic,” said psychologist  Venia Avena.

For many families, remittance delays or deductions jeopardize their ability to meet basic needs or disrupt their livelihoods.

Multiple money transfer agencies told The Haitian Times they deny any involvement in the extortion practices reported by customers. While the companies did not provide further details, cashiers at some locations echoed claims that customer security and transparency are prioritized procedurally.

“Surveillance cameras are installed in all workspaces to ensure a safe environment and monitor all transactions,” said Ediana Francisque, a cashier at NOS, a multiservice company based in Ouanamithe. 

“The CEO is particularly strict about these issues and does not accept any form of inappropriate behavior. In addition, when customers come to collect their transfers, whether from Unitransfer, CAM, Western Union, or MoneyGram, they receive the exact amount—not a penny less. At NOS, we do not impose any fees on people when they come to collect their money.”

Auguste Pierre, another cashier at SEKOMSA in Fort-Liberté—the capital city of the Northeast Department—provided a similar account of his company’s operations.

“The CEO’s position is clear,” he said. “Customers must recover the full amount when picking up transfers. Additional fees do not exist with us. Employees do not have the right to ask customers for money to process their transactions.”

Haiti’s money transfer market continues to grow

The money transfer market has grown exponentially in recent years, fueled by the increased flow of Haitians immigrating to the Americas, Europe, and even Asia.

A recent report published by the Haitian Institute of Statistics and Informatics (IHSI) revealed that money transfers from Haitian workers abroad totaled $3.8 billion in 2023. 

The trend continues, with millions of people using services like Western Union, MoneyGram, C.A.M Transfer, Unitransfer, and digital applications such as Zelle, Moncash, Natcash, PayPal, and CashApp, among others. In this period, when most Haitian people see their purchasing power diminish considerably, transfers from abroad represent a fundamental means of subsistence.

The post Haitians decry racketeering in cash-strapped money transfer agencies during holiday season appeared first on The Haitian Times.

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Haitians decry racketeering in cash-strapped money transfer agencies during holiday season was first posted on January 7, 2025 at 2:56 pm.