Surge in Scam Cases Reported During Eid Holidays, Warns Anti-Scam Centre

Information shared by the Anti-Scam Centre has revealed that 35 scam cases were reported to the authorities during the Eid al-Adha holidays, with financial losses amounting to nearly MVR 300,000.

The Maldives has witnessed a rise in cybercrime in recent months, including a range of scams. In response to growing concerns, the Maldives Police Service launched the Anti-Scam Centre on 17 March, with the aim of enhancing efforts to prevent and address such criminal activity.

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The Centre has identified Viber and Facebook Marketplace as the primary platforms used by scammers to target individuals. In light of the recent cases, the Centre has reiterated the need for public vigilance and has advised people not to share one-time passwords (OTPs) or other sensitive information such as account passwords.

Earlier this year, on 27 May, the police reported that scams over the preceding two months had led to losses totalling MVR 2.5 million. Of that amount, only MVR 700,000 had been successfully recovered.