Maldives Police Service, on Thursday, reported that over 500 bank accounts related to scam cases have been blocked so far this year.

Police disclosed the details of two scam cases presently under investigation by the authority during a press conference held at Iskandar Koshi on Thursday.

Speaking at the press conference, Rapid Response Head at the Anti-Scam Centre, Inspector of Police Adam Naveedh said the names of suspects received by the Police in connection to scams are not the actual culprits behind such crimes.

In this regard, he detailed that they are individuals who help extort the money for the actual culprits behind scams at a small benefit to them.

Police disclose statistics on scam cases during a press conference on July 11, 2024. (Sun Photo/Aman Latheef)

Speaking further, Naveedh said banks have begun taking special steps in connection to scam cases since the start of this year.

“If over one scam is conducted from a single account, that account is blocked. As a result of this, over 500 accounts have been blocked by the bank so far this year,” he said.

It was also noted by Naveedh that the first layer of accounts used to transfer money under scam cases reported this year are accounts that are completely new to the scam scene.

Financial scams have become prevalent in the Maldives, where culprits use various and evolving tactics to extort money. Authorities continue to advise the general public to be wary of such scams.