Wednesday 28 Oct 2026
Combined photos of three individuals arrested in connection with two separate scams involving the fraudulent sale of a dinghy and an engine. (Photo/Maldives Police Service)
Three individuals from Noonu Atoll have been arrested in connection with two separate scams involving the fraudulent sale of a dinghy and an engine, resulting in losses totaling MVR 60,000.
Maldives Police Service, on Wednesday, said that the arrests followed investigations into scams carried out through Facebook Marketplace. The suspects have been identified as:
Hassaan Ali was arrested in Velidhoo last Sunday for allegedly defrauding a victim of MVR 30,000 on September 2 by falsely advertising a dinghy for sale on Facebook Marketplace.
Ali Affan and Mohamed Hameed were arrested in Holhudhoo last Saturday over a similar scam reported on August 7, in which they allegedly obtained MVR 30,000 from an individual by falsely advertising an engine for sale.
All three suspects have been remanded in custody for 15 days as police continue investigating the two cases.
The arrests follow the apprehension of three other individuals earlier this month in connection with a similar online scam involving MVR 32,000. According to the latest police statistics, 36 scam cases were reported last week, resulting in total losses of MVR 597,327.85. Authorities recovered MVR 262,868.89 of the amount.
Police have urged the public to remain alert to online scams by avoiding suspicious links and never sharing one-time password (OTP) codes. They also advised the public to verify sellers before making online transactions and refrain from sharing personal information or banking details with third parties.
