Maldives Police Recover Over MVR 3.1 Million in Scam Losses During Operation Confrontation Ghost

The Maldives Police Service has recovered more than MVR 3.1 million lost to scams in the Maldives through its participation in "Operation Confrontation Ghost", an international operation led by the UAE Ministry of Interior. The operation, conducted from July 1 to September 30, saw the police Anti-Scam Centre investigate 544 reported scam cases. Police said victims reported total financial losses of MVR 5,256,101.97, of which MVR 3,104,075.38 - approximately 59.1 percent - has been recovered. Police said the recoveries were achieved through swift action taken before fraudsters could move the funds, carried out in coordination with relevant financial institutions. During the operation, 847 people were identified as suspects and 17 were arrested. Police also temporarily froze 1,088 bank accounts to prevent further circulation of illicit funds and protect victims' money. The most common scams reported were online shopping or e-commerce fraud, with 230 cases, followed by 107 cases of scams conducted under the guise of foreign currency exchange. Police also recorded 80 cases involving booking cancellations and refunds - a growing type of scam in the Maldives - as well as 43 cases of impersonation of officials, celebrities, family members or friends, 32 fake investment schemes, 27 unauthorized transactions and 8 romance scams. "Operation Confrontation Ghost" was led by the UAE Ministry of Interior in collaboration with Interpol, the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), 13 private companies in the technology and finance sectors, and enforcement agencies from 30 countries. The operation targeted AI-powered fraud, financial scams on digital platforms and online extortion. Globally, the operation halted more than 123.71 million fraudulent attempts, identified more than US$39 billion in suspected illicit proceeds, made more than 960 arrests and identified over 3,500 suspects. More than 15,500 victims were identified, over 9,000 pieces of intelligence were shared between countries, 4,126 bank accounts and over 570 social media accounts were shut down, and 29 scam centres were raided. The international results were announced at a side event of the 13th Conference of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime in Vienna, Austria. Police said the Anti-Scam Centre also carried out 34 public awareness activities, including TV programmes, during the operation period.