Police statistics have shown that the number of scam cases reported to the police has reached 3,000, with the amount of money lost in these cases standing at MVR 35 million, out of which only MVR 13 million has been recovered.
This is the number of cases reported to the Anti-Scam Centre since its creation on March 17, 2025.
Police said that the amount of money lost by the public in scam cases exceeds MVR 35.1 million. Out of this, police stated that MVR 13.3 million was recovered. Police also said that all funds were fully recovered in 1,196 of the reported cases.
According to police, a portion of the lost money was recovered in 279 cases.
Police stated that recovering money after it is lost is a arduous task, and these statistics reveal that in some situations, there is a chance the funds are completely lost.
Police said it is tragic that the hard-earned money collected day and night by 3,000 families, small businesses, and individuals goes to waste by falling victim to fraud cases. Police appealed to the public not to fall victim to such deceptions and to be more vigilant than before.
Police stated that e-commerce scams conducted under the guise of online shopping were the most common method used to obtain money through fraud. While 1,478 such cases were reported, 540 scam cases conducted under the pretext of foreign currency exchange and 439 impersonation cases were also reported.
According to police, such deceptions were commonly carried out using social media platforms. There were 1,093 scams conducted via Facebook Marketplace and 911 cases via Viber, while scams were also operated through phone calls, iBay, Telegram, WhatsApp, Instagram, and TikTok.
Therefore, police have urged the public to verify whether every advertisement, message, or call seen online contains accurate information. Urging caution against demands to send money in a hurry, police requested not to share OTPs, passwords, or banking information with anyone. They also advised reporting to the relevant authority without delay if any suspicious situation arises.
