Police recover 59% of money lost to scams in joint operation with 30 countries

The Maldives Police Service’s Anti-Scam Centre has recovered more than MVR 3.1 million lost by members of the public to scams under “Operation Confrontation Ghost,” a major international initiative led by the Ministry of Interior of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The operation, which brought together 30 countries and several international agencies to combat digital financial crimes, enabled the Anti-Scam Centre to recover a significant proportion of the funds reported stolen.

According to police records, 544 scam cases were reported during the three-month operation, which ran from July 1 to September 30 this year, resulting in total losses of MVR 5,256,101.97. Through prompt intervention and cooperation with financial institutions, the Anti-Scam Centre recovered MVR 3,104,075.38, representing approximately 59.1 percent of the reported losses. Authorities said the recovery was made possible by intercepting the funds before criminals could transfer them further.

During the operation, investigators identified 847 individuals suspected of involvement in scam activities, resulting in the arrest of 17 people. In addition, 1,088 bank accounts associated with suspicious transactions were temporarily placed on hold or frozen to disrupt the financial networks used by criminal groups.

Maldives Police Service data shows that e-commerce and online shopping scams were the most frequently reported, accounting for 230 cases involving fraudulent transactions on various online platforms. Foreign currency exchange scams ranked second, with 107 cases. Authorities also reported an increase in newer methods, including 80 cases involving deceptive booking cancellations and refund schemes. Other reported incidents comprised 43 impersonation scams involving family members, friends or well-known entities, 32 investment scams, 27 cases of unauthorised account transactions and eight romance scams.

“Operation Confrontation Ghost” was a major global initiative coordinated by the UAE Ministry of Interior, INTERPOL, the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), 13 private technology and financial companies, and law enforcement agencies from 30 countries. The operation focused on tackling artificial intelligence (AI)-driven deception, digital financial fraud and online extortion.

Globally, the operation successfully thwarted more than 123.71 million fraudulent attempts and identified over USD 39 billion in suspicious digital assets and funds. International enforcement efforts resulted in the arrest of more than 960 individuals and the identification of 3,500 suspects. Authorities also identified over 15,500 victims, exchanged more than 9,000 intelligence reports between countries, and shut down 4,126 bank accounts and 570 social media accounts. In addition, law enforcement agencies raided 29 illegal scam centres worldwide.

The official results were announced on the sidelines of the 13th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime in Vienna, Austria.

Alongside its investigative and enforcement activities, the Anti-Scam Centre continues to focus on raising public awareness. During the operation, the centre conducted 34 awareness initiatives, including television programmes and community outreach activities, to educate the public about evolving scam tactics.