The Police Anti-Scam Centre has announced a 43 per cent decrease in reported scam cases for April this year, compared to the same month in 2024.

Statistics from the centre show that a total of MVR 1.6 million was lost to various scams last month. Of these, 63 were related to e-commerce, 29 were cases of money laundering fraud, and three involved fake accounts pretending to be romantic partners.

The centre reported that most scams in April were carried out through platforms such as Facebook Marketplace, Telegram, Viber, and Instagram. Despite the MVR 1.6 million in losses, the Centre successfully recovered MVR 126,717.

In April 2024, the country saw a loss of MVR 2.2 million across 246 scam cases, with no funds recovered by the end of the month.

The Anti-Scam Centre now centrally manages all scam-related cases nationwide. The centre works closely with financial institutions to respond swiftly to reported cases, providing support through the call centre and other communication channels.

The police have highlighted that scam cases can be reported within the country through the National Emergency Number 911, the Anti-Scam Hotline 125 (Extension 2020), or via email at [email protected]. Reports can also be made at centres in Malé and the atolls.