Over MVR 400,000 lost in scams in a week, police say
Police reported that MVR 383,610.08 of the total amount lost has been recovered, which accounts for approximately 80% of the reported losses.
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A total of MVR 481,520.67 was lost in 45 scam cases reported between 13 and 19 of this month, according to the Maldives Police Service.
The data was released by the Police Anti-Scam Centre on Wednesday. Police stated that the majority of the reported scams were carried out through e-commerce platforms.
Among the 45 reported cases:
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26 involved scams conducted through e-commerce platforms; Of these, 20 cases were linked to transactions via the Facebook Marketplace
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10 cases were related to foreign currency exchange
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5 were telephone-based scams
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One case each involved impersonation, phishing, romance scams, and money laundering
Police reported that MVR 383,610.08 of the total amount lost has been recovered, which accounts for approximately 80% of the reported losses.
The methods of communication used by scammers include messaging applications such as Viber, Messenger, Telegram, and Instagram. Police also noted that scams were conducted via phone calls and through the online platform eBay.
Authorities have urged the public to exercise caution when engaging in online transactions and to report suspicious activity promptly.
