Police report 3,001 scam cases with losses exceeding MVR 35 million; MVR 13 million recovered

More than MVR 35 million has been lost in 3,001 scam cases, of which MVR 13 million has been recovered, police said Monday.

According to police, money was fully recovered in 1,196 cases, while partial recovery was made in 279 cases.

Police said the most common frauds reported were e‑commerce scams carried out under the guise of online shopping. A total of 1,478 such cases were filed. In addition, 540 cases involved foreign currency exchange scams, while 439 cases involved impersonation and deception carried out in the name of various parties.

The platforms most frequently used for scams were Facebook Marketplace, with 1,093 cases, and Viber, with 911 cases. Police noted that scams were also conducted through phone calls, eBay, Telegram, WhatsApp, Instagram, and TikTok.

Police have urged the public to verify the identity of anyone requesting personal information, and stressed that PIN numbers and OTP codes must never be shared under any circumstances. They also advised people not to purchase from unknown online sellers and to avoid clicking on suspicious links.

Police said any suspicious activity should be reported to the relevant authorities immediately.