Police recover MVR 200K out of MVR 300K stolen in scams last week

The police announced on Thursday that they have successfully recovered MVR 200,000 out of MVR 300,000 stolen in scams last week.

According to data collected by the Anti-Scam Center, 42 cases of scams were reported to the police in the one-week period from September 28 – October 4.

Total MVR 318,342.50 was stolen in these cases.

The police said that they have managed to recover 221,243.33.

The highest number of scams involved e-commerce, with 19 such cases reported during the period.

The 42 cases of scams reported include:

• E-commerce: 19 cases
• Impersonation: 7 cases
• Phishing, vishing and job scams: 6 cases
• Other: 7 cases

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

The police urge people to verify the identity of people before giving money, refrain from sharing personal and confidential information, and use two-factor authentication for apps, in order to protect themselves from scams.

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