The Maldives Police Service has clarified that no police officers were involved in a recent scam where a Viber account was hacked, and money was extorted from an individual.

This statement comes in response to rumors circulating on social media, which alleged the involvement of a police officer in the scam. The rumors were accompanied by a photo of the accused officer, leading to widespread speculation.

According to the police, the scam involved the hacking of an individual’s Viber account, followed by fraudulent messages sent to their contacts. The investigation has also revealed three similar cases currently under review.

The police assured that they took prompt action after the complaint was lodged, recovering and restoring the compromised Viber account to its owner. The scam resulted in the extortion of MVR 10,100 from three individuals, with the stolen funds deposited into bank accounts linked to compromised emails. One such account has been identified and held for investigation.

Police emphasized that their investigation has not uncovered any involvement by officers in the scam. However, they noted that one of the bank accounts used in the fraudulent transactions belonged to the wife of a police officer. This account, along with its associated email, had been hacked and exploited by an unidentified third party.

The Economic Crime Department is actively investigating the case and working to recover the stolen funds.

In their statement, police expressed concern over the spread of misinformation on social media, highlighting its potential to harm the reputation of the institution.