Three Arrested in Maldives for Facebook Marketplace Scams Totalling MVR 60,000

Three individuals have been arrested by Maldives Police Service in connection with two separate fraud cases conducted through Facebook Marketplace, where victims were deceived into paying for goods that were never delivered. The arrests were made earlier this month following court orders. According to police, Hassaan Ali (34), from Velidhu North, Vinas, was arrested on October 25 in connection with a case where he fraudulently obtained MVR 30,000 by claiming to sell a dinghy. The incident occurred on September 2, 2026, after the suspect interacted with a victim via Facebook Marketplace. The court ordered Hassaan Ali to be held in custody for 15 days. In a separate case, Ali Affan (32) from Holhudhoo North, Hiyaa, and Mohamed Hamid (34) from the same island were arrested on October 24. They are accused of fraudulently obtaining MVR 30,000 by claiming to sell an engine on Facebook Marketplace on August 7, 2026. The court ordered both men to be detained for 15 days. Police continue to investigate these cases of financial fraud conducted through the social media platform.