Police report MVR 370K lost to online scams last week

Two people looking at a phone: CMDA's CEO Mohamed Hussain Manik states while the authority has the legal responsibility to investigate scam cases, it lacks enforcement powers. (File Photo)

The Maldives Police Service has revealed that MVR 372,515.59 was lost to scams last week, with 35 cases reported between Sunday, October 20 and Saturday, October 26.

The Anti-Scam Centre recovered MVR 148,781.94 from suspects during investigations.

According to police statistics:

13 cases involved online business fraud
6 cases were money exchange scams
9 cases involved identity fraud
6 cases were linked to phishing and employment scams

Scammers used platforms such as regular phone calls, eBay, messaging apps, phishing links, and Facebook Marketplace to target victims.

Police warned that fraud techniques are evolving rapidly and urged the public to:

Verify the identity of individuals or businesses before sending money
Avoid sharing personal information
Enable two-factor authentication on apps and accounts

The Anti-Scam Centre continues to monitor digital fraud trends and freeze suspicious bank accounts. Authorities have also launched awareness campaigns to help citizens recognize and report scams.

By Azhaar Abdul Azeez

Writer