The Maldives Police Service has warned that renting out bank accounts and bank cards is a criminal offence, amid a rise in such cases reported across social media platforms.

In a statement shared by the Police Anti-Scam Centre on Facebook, authorities said providing bank accounts to others could facilitate criminal activity. Police noted that advertisements offering to “rent bank accounts” or “earn easy money by giving access to accounts” have become increasingly common, particularly on TikTok and Telegram.

Police stressed that bank accounts are personal property and that account details, PIN numbers and one-time passwords (OTPs) must never be shared with others. Authorities further warned that allowing another person to use a bank account could enable serious crimes such as money laundering.

The statement added that individuals involved in such activities could face criminal prosecution and may also be denied access to banking services.

Police also emphasised that account holders bear full responsibility for all transactions conducted through their accounts, regardless of who carried them out.

The public has been urged not to share or promote such advertisements online and to report any suspicious activity to the police immediately.

Authorities further warned that legal action would be taken against both those renting out bank accounts and those obtaining accounts for such purposes, in collaboration with financial institutions.

The warning comes as cases involving the renting of bank accounts continue to surface, with the Bank of Maldives also confirming that it has identified similar incidents.