MVR 500,000 Lost to Scams in One Week, Police Recover Over MVR 200,000

The Maldives Police Service has reported that over MVR 500,000 was lost to scam cases over a one-week period, with more than MVR 200,000 successfully recovered.

Police published statistics covering cases reported between 12 and 18 April, during which a total of 41 scam incidents were recorded.

The cases included 21 e-commerce scams, three currency exchange scams, nine impersonation cases, and one case each of phishing, vishing and job-offer scams, in addition to eight other cases.

According to the data, total losses amounted to MVR 496,383.50, of which MVR 211,684.50 has been recovered.

Police identified the platforms used by scammers as online messaging services, iBay, phone calls, phishing links and the Facebook Marketplace.

Authorities also issued guidance to help the public avoid scams, advising individuals to verify whether business accounts are properly registered and linked to the goods being sold, and to confirm registration details. The public was encouraged to check for physical shop or warehouse locations and to prioritise cash on delivery where possible.

Police further warned against individuals impersonating family members or friends to request money and advised the public not to click on suspicious links sent under the name of banks, urging the use of official applications only.

In addition, police stated that MVR 1.46 million of stolen funds in Malé City has been recovered during the first two weeks of the month. Theft cases have increased in both the capital and the atolls.

So far this year, 3,583 cases have been reported to the police, the majority of which are theft-related. A total of 998 theft cases have been recorded.