Woman Faces Charge Of Obtaining Services By Deception After Allegedly Pretending To Be Her Friend & Using Her Friend’s Name & Documentation To Obtain $9,000 Loan.

By Alric Lindsay

Arian Wright-Velasquez, a 25-year-old Caymanian woman, appeared in the Summary Court on July 22, 2025, for the mention of an allegation of obtaining services by deception. It is alleged that Wright-Velasquez falsely represented that a loan application submitted to Dex Ltd. for $9,000 was made by her friend, who is an employee of Cayman National Bank.  After a brief discussion in court, the matter was adjourned to August 26, 2025. In the meantime, Wright-Velasquez was granted bail with conditions.

Background

According to court documents, Dex Ltd. is a company that provides loans to qualified customers. To secure loans, customers are required to submit the necessary documentation via email. Their documents are reviewed, and if successful, the loan is disbursed to the account provided by the customer.

It is alleged that, in June 2024, Dex Ltd was contacted by an individual purporting to be Wright-Velasquez’s friend in an attempt to secure a loan in the amount of KYD 9,100.00. Investigations revealed that Wright-Velasquez allegedly used her friend’s details and falsified documents to obtain money from Dex Ltd.

The court documents allege that, on Sunday, June 9, 2024, Wright-Velasquez contacted her friend by WhatsApp. Allegedly, Wright-Velasquez explained to her long-time friend that she was to receive some money from her employer.  However, Wright-Velasquez reportedly told her friend that while money from Wright-Velasquez’s employer normally goes into her husband’s account, Wright-Velasquez had a falling out with her husband and does not trust anyone.

It is alleged that Wright-Velasquez then asked her friend to allow Wright-Velasquez’s employer to send the money to her friend’s bank account. To complete the funds transfer, Wright-Velasquez allegedly requested her friend’s bank account number, a copy of her passport, and a copy of her driver’s license.

Reportedly, on June 13, 2024, Wright-Velasquez contacted her friend and informed her that the money was now deposited into her friend’s bank account. Allegedly, Wright-Velasquez told her friend to withdraw KYD8,000 and keep KYD1,000 for assisting her.

Several days later, her friend became concerned about the amount of cash she had on her person. As a result, she proceeded to check her bank statement and noticed that the funds deposited into her account bore the description “Dex Ltd.” Her friend found this description strange because, normally, when someone is getting paid, the description typically says “payroll” or the name of the merchant bank that the employer uses. Her friend researched Dex Ltd and discovered that it was a lending agency.

Her friend called Dex Ltd and spoke with Andrew McGraw, and it was through this conversation that she allegedly discovered Wright-Velasquez had used the friend’s information to secure a loan from Dex Ltd.  These documents include a letter addressed to Sagicor Life Insurance, a CNB job reference letter and the last page of the loan agreement. The friend reportedly told a representative of Dex Ltd. that she did not produce, sign or send those documents to Dex Ltd. 

On Sunday, June 16, 2024, the friend attended the police station and made a report regarding the incident.

Wright-Velasquez was subsequently arrested, and her cell phone was seized.

Reportedly, when interviewed, a prepared statement was read to the police. When questions were posed to Wright-Velasquez regarding the prepared statement and the offence, she remained silent throughout the interview.

Review of Wright-Velasquez’s phone

Based on the court documents, Wright-Velasquez’s cell phone was forensically examined and various documents that were sent to Dex Ltd., including pictures of her friend’s pay slip on a computer screen, an instruction letter to Sagicor Life in the name of her friend, her friend’s passport and her friend’s driver’s License.

Next steps

Wright-Velasquez is currently on bail and is expected to appear in court on August 26, 2025, for a further court hearing. Her bail conditions are as follows:

**No contact directly or indirectly with her friend, or Dex Ltd. or the director of Dex Ltd, or anyone associated with Dex Ltd. or any of the Crown’s witnesses. This includes no social media contact.

**Live and sleep at the address given to the court.

Note to readers

This article refers to allegations only and does not imply guilt. The final determination will be made in court after all the evidence has been heard.

Obtaining services by deception is an offence under section 247 (1) of the Penal Code (2024 Revision). This states:

Obtaining property by deception

247. (1) A person who by any deception dishonestly obtains property belonging to another, with intention of permanently depriving the other of it commits an offence and is liable to imprisonment for ten years.

(2) For purposes of this section a person is to be treated as obtaining property if the person obtains ownership, possession or control of it, and “obtain” includes obtaining for another or enabling another to obtain or retain.

(3) Section 240 shall apply for this section, with the necessary adaptation of the reference to appropriating, as it applies for section 235.

(4) For purposes of this section “deception” means any deception (whether reckless or deliberate) by words or conduct as to fact or as to law, including a deception as to the present intentions of the person using the deception or any other person.

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