MVR 200,000 recovered as scam losses hit MVR 400,000 last week
16 އޯގަސްޓު 2026 | އާދީއްތަ 09:56Authorities recovered over MVR 260,000 out of the more than MVR 470,000 lost to public scams last week, with police urging increased vigilance during online transactions as reports of fraudulent online retail and foreign currency exchange schemes continue to rise.
Recovery of funds lost to scams. | police
The Maldives Police Service's Anti-Scam Centre has reported that a total of 53 scam cases were filed between August 2 and August 8.
Statistics on scams conducted in the Maldives reveal that the public has lost a total of MVR 475,275.76. However, the police have disclosed that MVR 269,631.27 of this amount has since been recovered.
An analysis of the methods used to carry out scams reveals that these activities were conducted through online messaging platforms, iBay, phone calls, and suspicious links, as well as via Facebook Marketplace. The highest number of reported cases involved e-commerce or online business transactions. Specifically, 22 cases related to e-commerce were submitted over the past week.
The next most frequent reports involve foreign currency exchange scams. While 12 such cases were reported, there were also seven instances of booking cancellations and refund scams. Additionally, the police received three reports of impersonation fraud, where individuals were deceived into handing over money, along with nine cases involving other types of fraudulent activity.
With the rising prevalence of scams in the Maldives, the police continue to urge the public to remain vigilant. Authorities have specifically advised citizens to exercise extra caution when engaging in online transactions.
