Friday, December 12, 2025.
Preventing the “Emergency Scam” Targeting Staff
Across Panama, and increasingly throughout Latin America, a highly effective fraud scheme continues to exploit the trust and fear of household employees. The pattern is predictable, yet devastatingly successful: a caller urgently informs a nanny or maid that their employer has been arrested, injured, or is in severe legal trouble and needs an immediate cash payment to secure release. The caller demands jewelry, cash, or other valuables and instructs the employee to hand them over to a “lawyer” waiting outside the home.
By the time the truth comes to light, the valuables are gone, the criminals have vanished, and both the family and the employee are left shaken.
These criminals rely on speed, fear, and confusion. Their goal is to make the employee act before they think, using a believable script and pressure tactics that make the situation feel real.
To protect your household, it’s critical to educate and prepare your staff. A well-briefed employee is the single most effective barrier against this type of fraud.
How to Prevent This Scam
1. Establish a Household Security Protocol
Make sure every employee knows the golden rule:
No one acts on an emergency call without first confirming directly with the employer or the employer’s spouse.
No exceptions.
2. Create a “Verification Call List”
Provide your staff with:
- Your primary number
- Your spouse/partner’s number
- One backup/emergency contact
Instruct them to call these numbers immediately if someone claims there is an emergency involving the family.
3. Train Staff to Recognize Red Flags
Criminals typically:
- Use urgent or emotional language
- Demand secrecy
- Claim phones are confiscated or unavailable
- Insist on immediate delivery of valuables
- Threaten legal consequences if staff hesitate
Your staff must understand that pressure equals fraud.
4. Prohibit Any Transfer of Valuables
Make it clear—verbally and in writing—that:
No employee is ever authorized to hand over cash, jewelry, or documents to anyone without your explicit confirmation.
5. Encourage Calm and Critical Thinking
Let them know:
- Real lawyers never collect money at your front door.
- Real emergencies are verified through official channels.
- You will never blame them for pausing to verify before acting.
6. Install Security Measures
- Cameras at entry points
- Controlled access to gates
- Intercom verification
These make it harder for impostors to approach the home undetected.
Instructions to Give Your Maid or Nanny
You can include these as a printed list in your home:
- If someone calls saying something happened to my family, do not panic.Hang up immediately and call me.
- Never give jewelry, money, or documents to anyone—police, lawyers, or strangers—without speaking to me first.
- Do not let anyone into the house unless previously authorized.
- If pressured or threatened, end the call and contact me or my spouse immediately.
- If someone is outside claiming to be a lawyer or official, do NOT approach or speak to them.Keep the doors locked.
Final Note
These scams succeed not because staff are careless, but because criminals are highly trained in psychological manipulation. A prepared household is a protected household. Clear communication, simple rules, and regular reminders will reduce your risk significantly.
Brett Mikkelson
Director, B.M. Investigations, Inc. – Private Investigations in Panama
TOP NEWS and TIDBITS:
Assembly Promotes Forum to Improve Panama’s Investment Grade and Attract More Investment
The National Assembly’s Economic Committee launched on Thursday a forum-workshop aimed at evaluating the country’s economic situation and mapping out a roadmap to recover and strengthen Panama’s investment grade, a key indicator for attracting foreign investment and reducing unemployment.
Deputy Eduardo Gaitán, a member of the committee and promoter of the event, explained that the investment grade “is not an isolated macroeconomic concept,” but a factor that directly impacts Panamanians’ finances. He compared it to the credit rating banks assess when a person applies for a loan.
“The better the country’s financial profile, the better interest rates we will all receive—whether for mortgages, car loans, or personal credit,” Gaitán said. He added that the investment level is closely linked to unemployment: “The higher the investment, the lower the unemployment. That is why this issue is so relevant.”
A space with more than 100 economic stakeholders
The forum will include participation from representatives of the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), AMCHAM, independent economists, and various multilateral sectors.
Key topics to be discussed include:
• The current status of Panama’s economy.
• Measures to improve the country’s image with credit rating agencies.
The objective is for legislative proposals and public policy recommendations to emerge from this forum to strengthen fiscal stability and transparency.
Corruption and lack of transparency continue to affect the country
The deputy acknowledged that governance and transparency remain the main challenges cited by international rating agencies. He noted that practices such as nepotism, conflicts of interest, and public officials engaging in contracts with the State continue to damage the country’s credibility.
“These are practices people have come to see as normal, but they are not. And they directly affect the international perception we aim to improve,” he stated.
As an example, he mentioned the recent case of a former deputy and former director of Pandeportes who is facing legal proceedings for contracts with the State without proper authorization.
Forum expectations
Gaitán emphasized that this is the first time the Economic Committee organizes a forum of this scale with all key national and international economic actors. The goal, he said, is for joint efforts to produce clear policies and concrete measures to strengthen Panama’s economy.
“The investment grade affects credit, unemployment, and the daily life of every Panamanian. We cannot treat it as an isolated issue,” he stressed.
Small Aircraft that Crashed on the Amador Causeway Was Heading to the Calzada Larga Airfield
The Civil Aviation Authority (AAC) reported that the authorized investigative team is already conducting inquiries to determine the causes of the small aircraft crash that occurred Thursday morning on the Amador Causeway.
According to AAC Deputy Director Abdel Martínez, the flight plan initially listed four passengers; however, at the time of takeoff only two crew members were on board. They were treated by emergency medical personnel following the incident.
The institution indicated that the aircraft’s destination was the Calzada Larga airfield.
In the area, units from the Fire Department are carrying out cleanup work and fuel removal, while traffic flow is being regulated to avoid congestion. Authorities are advising drivers to avoid traveling through the area.
A small aircraft crashed Thursday morning on the Amador Causeway, resulting in two people sustaining minor injuries.
Fitch Maintains Panama’s Rating at ‘BB+’, Below Investment Grade
Fitch Ratings confirmed on Wednesday Panama’s sovereign risk rating at ‘BB+’ with a stable outlook, highlighting a combination of macroeconomic strengths and persistent pressures on public finances.
Panama remains below investment grade for Fitch, which removed it in March 2024. However, the country still retains that status with the other two major agencies, meaning that it is still generally considered an investment-grade economy.
In its report, Fitch noted that the country’s profile continues to be supported by a high GDP per capita, low inflation, and macro-financial stability derived from dollarization, as well as growth prospects supported by logistics activities and the strategic role of the Panama Canal. However, the agency reiterated that weaknesses persist in governance, a limited revenue base, a higher debt and interest burden, dependence on external financing, and low fiscal transparency.
Fitch projects that the non-financial public sector (NFPS) deficit will close 2025 at 4% of GDP, within the official target and below the 7.4% recorded in 2024. The reduction is due to the clearing of pending payments recorded last year, partial recovery of Canal and tax revenues, and a statistical benefit derived from the CSS reform. A lower level of investment also contributes to the adjustment, although partly linked to project postponements or deferred payments.
For the central government, the agency estimates a deficit of 6.1% of GDP, above the budgeted 3%. This is mainly due to an additional USD 966 million transfer to the CSS resulting from the reform, which does not affect the NFPS deficit but does increase the central government deficit.
Public debt is also increasing. Fitch estimates that gross debt will close 2025 at 67.2% of GDP, compared to 62.5% in 2024, and that consolidated debt will reach 61.6%, exceeding the median of ‘BB’-rated countries. The interest-to-revenue ratio is expected to reach 18.8% in 2025, with an upward trend in the coming years.
The agency warned that medium-term fiscal challenges remain. For 2026, it foresees a slower reduction in the NFPS deficit, accompanied by spending pressures in subsidies, a growing public payroll, and demand for better services. It also noted the lack of new tax reforms and continued reliance on improvements in fiscal administration.
Fitch also underscored transparency limitations, indicating that budgets continue to include optimistic estimates, that statistics on liabilities associated with turnkey projects have not been updated since March, and that fiscal data publication shifted from monthly to quarterly.
Regarding the financial strategy, the report indicates that Panama has relied on short-term bank loans this year and has remained out of international markets since February 2024. In total, it has secured approximately USD 5.3 billion in financing in euros and Swiss francs, with maturities of two to three years that increase obligations concentrated in 2027 and 2028 and introduce foreign-currency risk.
Fitch expects growth to recover to 3.8% in 2025, after falling to 2.7% in 2024 due to the drought affecting the Canal and the closure of the Cobre Panamá mine. For 2026 and 2027, it projects 4% growth, driven by the more than USD 8 billion investment portfolio announced by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP), which includes a gas pipeline, two ports, and the Río Indio reservoir.
The report also mentions the CSS reform approved in March 2025, which ensures the system’s solvency, although with limited fiscal relief after the decision not to raise the retirement age. Subsequent protests and political wear could complicate further structural reforms, according to the agency.
Regarding the Cobre Panamá mine, Fitch notes that the environmental audit should conclude in the first quarter of 2026, and while the project’s future remains uncertain, optimism is growing around a possible reopening by executive action. According to cited surveys, most people still oppose it, although public perception is shifting as the economic impact of the operation is considered.
The agency projects that the current account balance will shift from a surplus of 1.9% of GDP in 2024 to a deficit of 0.8% in 2025, and estimates that net external debt will reach 49.7% of GDP, one of the highest levels among ‘BB’-rated countries.
Fitch maintained the country ceiling at ‘A+’, six notches above the sovereign rating, noting that Panama’s deeply consolidated dollarization reduces incentives to impose transfer restrictions.
Among the factors that could trigger a downgrade, the agency cited a fiscal deterioration greater than expected, lower confidence in economic growth, or increased social instability. For an upgrade, structural progress in fiscal consolidation and governance would be required.
Fuel Prices Drop: New Rates Announced Starting This Friday
The Energy Secretariat announced the new fuel prices in Panama. According to the official list, 91-octane gasoline dropped by 13 cents per gallon; 95-octane gasoline decreased by 9 cents; and diesel registered a significant reduction of 23 cents.
Fuel Prices in Panama
Panama and Colón
• 95 octane: 0.864
• 91 octane: 0.808
• Diesel: 0.806
Arraiján and La Chorrera
• 95 octane: 0.866
• 91 octane: 0.811
• Diesel: 0.808
Penonomé, Aguadulce, and Divisa
• 95 octane: 0.872
• 91 octane: 0.816
• Diesel: 0.814
Las Tablas
• 95 octane: 0.880
• 91 octane: 0.824
• Diesel: 0.822
Boquete and the border area
• 95 octane: 0.888
• 91 octane: 0.832
• Diesel: 0.830
Volcán
• 95 octane: 0.890
• 91 octane: 0.835
• Diesel: 0.832
Changuinola
• 95 octane: 0.914
• 91 octane: 0.859
• Diesel: 0.856
Government of Panama Details the Use of the $29 Million Received from the Sale of Copper Concentrate as It Evaluates Whether to Use Material from the Mine
The Government confirmed that it recently received a little over $29 million in royalties from the export of approximately 122,000 tons of copper concentrate that had been stored since before the shutdown of operations. This sale, completed in September, generated total revenue of $334 million, of which the State received the announced amount.
The monthly maintenance cost amounts to $15 million.
To date, $360 million has been spent on mine maintenance, according to the Minister of Commerce and Industries, Julio Molto. The official did not specify how much of the new funds has already been used, how much remains available, or how long they will be sufficient to sustain current work. He also did not provide the exact calculation used to determine the amount received by the State, although he noted that if the mining law alone were applied, the royalty amount would be lower.
Molto did not rule out that the Government is evaluating whether it is possible to generate additional revenue from extracted material that has not yet been processed. This analysis is ongoing.
He emphasized that State funds will not be used to pay for maintenance.
The Minister of Commerce stated that the royalties will be used for infrastructure and social projects, including community investments linked to this phase. In the municipality of Omar Torrijos, $3.5 million will be allocated to the expansion and equipment of the Coclesito health center, electrical supply for Nueva Esperanza, and improvements to access roads.
In Donoso, $1.9 million will be invested in two priorities: the construction of access roads for producers in Washington and the repair and expansion of the Coclé del Norte health center.
In the municipality of La Pintada, $1.2 million will be invested for the expansion and equipment of the Llano Norte school; improvements to the water catchment systems in Llano Grande and Llano Norte; and the repair of the road connecting both communities.
SNIP Noticias asked the Ministry of Commerce for a projection of how long the funds allocated for mine maintenance will last, but no response was received by the time this edition closed.
Food Poisoning During Year-End Festivities: Rising Risks and How to Prevent Them
December is synonymous with gatherings, banquets, and abundant meals. But that abundance can also bring risks: food poisoning caused by bacteria, viruses, or improper storage increases significantly during this season.
Health authorities warn that a lapse in food handling or storage can turn a festive dinner into a health problem.
Why food poisoning increases in December
During the holidays, many families prepare large amounts of food in advance, store leftovers, and combine multiple dishes—conditions that raise the likelihood of cross-contamination. Panama’s Ministry of Health (MINSA) warns about the dangers of leaving food at room temperature for many hours or handling it without proper sanitary conditions.
Similarly, international organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) point out that certain foods—such as poultry, seafood, eggs, unpasteurized dairy products, or unwashed vegetables—are particularly prone to harboring bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses.
How to prevent food poisoning: safe practices for your celebrations
MINSA recommends:
• Separating raw foods from cooked foods.
• Using different utensils for each.
• Washing hands, surfaces, and fruits or vegetables thoroughly.
• Not leaving cooked food at room temperature for more than two hours.
• Refrigerating leftovers as soon as possible and consuming them within 24 hours.
Additionally, following CDC guidelines, it is important to remember the “four keys” to food safety: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill.
Extra caution is also necessary with cold dishes, seafood, homemade mayonnaise, or foods prepared in advance, as they carry a higher risk if not kept under safe conditions.
This December, enjoying your meals should not become a hazard. With proper kitchen practices, good hygiene, and responsible food storage, you can celebrate without worries.
Eight Individuals Arrested for Computer Fraud Involving Identity Theft
Eight individuals were apprehended and several electronic devices were seized during a series of raids across multiple provinces, as part of an investigation into an alleged digital scam in which, through identity impersonation, a victim was induced to transfer more than B/.10,000 to accounts used to move and conceal the funds.
The investigation began after a victim reported being deceived by individuals who, posing as her son through the use of technological tools, managed to persuade her to make several bank transfers totaling more than B/.10,000.
As part of the operation, authorities carried out 12 simultaneous raids in different provinces of the country. These actions targeted individuals whose bank accounts were allegedly used to divide and move funds in order to hide their illicit origin.
Multiple electronic devices were seized during the operation and will undergo forensic analysis as part of the criminal process. Additionally, eight individuals allegedly linked to the activities under investigation were apprehended.
