Over MVR 270,000 lost to scams during Eid holidays: Anti-Scam Centre

More than MVR 270,000 was lost to scams during the Eid holidays alone, said Anti-Scam Centre.

In a statement, the centre said 35 scam cases were reported between June 3 and 9, with total losses amounting to MVR 270,270. Police were able to recover MVR 75,776 of the defrauded funds.

Anti-Scam Centre said the most common scams during the period involved e-commerce fraud, often carried out via Facebook and Viber, two of the most widely used social media platforms.

The centre urged the public to exercise caution when shopping online and to ensure the legitimacy of sellers before making any payments.

In the week preceding Eid, from 27 May to 2 June, the centre recorded losses of MVR 673,402 from scam cases, with MVR 142,851 recovered.

Anti-Scam Centre was established on 17 March in response to a rise in scam-related crimes. In its first month of operation, it recorded total losses of MVR 2.2 million.

Scammers often impersonate individuals online, hack Facebook and Viber accounts, or alter bank account numbers in social media posts requesting medical assistance, the centre said. It advised the public to verify the authenticity of requests before transferring money or sharing personal or financial information.