The Maldives Police Service has warned the public to exercise caution when exchanging foreign currency, as well as engaging in online financial transactions.
The Police Cyber ββCrime Department advised to ensure that the foreign exchange dealers are authorized by the central bank, Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) before proceeding with any transactions. The Department said authorized sellers are listed on the MMA website.
The police also warned of a growing number of scams involving hacked Viber accounts, where fraudsters pose as the account holder to extort money from friends and family. Therefore, police have advised the public not to share their OTP codes with anyone, and to verify the recipient’s identity before sending money to anyone.
Police have also asked the public to be vigilant of scams that involve hacking social media and impersonation calls.
While scam cases are on the rise, police have recently set up a call center to report scam cases. The Anti-Scam Center coordinates response efforts with relevant agencies and financial institutions, and acts promptly once a case is reported, taking necessary action and securing transaction data from the relevant institutions.
The National Emergency Number 911, Anti-Scam Hotline 125 (Extension 2020) and the Anti-Scam Centre’s email are available for reporting scam-related cases.
