Over MVR 300,000 stolen in scams last week, nearly half recovered

Over MVR 300,000 was stolen in scams last week, according to statistics released by the police.

According to the police, the agency received reports of 42 cases of scam over the one-week period from July 26 to August 1.

The scams resulted in the loss of MVR 334,549, out of which the police successfully recovered MVR 163,558.

The police said the 48.89 percent recovery marks “huge progress in police efforts to combat financial crimes and protect people’s assets.”

The highest number of scams involved e-commerce, which accounted for over 35 percent of cases reported last week.

The total 42 cases of scams reported include:

• E-commerce: 15 cases (35.71 percent)
• Booking cancellation and refund scam: 11 cases (26.19 percent)
• Currency exchange: 8 cases (19.05 percent)
• Other: 5 cases (11.90 percent)

The police saw an average of six reports involving scams last week.

Meanwhile, the most common mediums used to run the scams included online messaging platforms, iBay, phone calls, unknown links, and Facebook Marketplace.

The police urged people to report scam cases as soon as possible for a better chance at recovering their money.