Three people from Noonu Atoll have been detained for their involvement in two distinct scams related to the deceitful sale of a dinghy and an engine, leading to total losses of MVR 60,000.

On Wednesday, the Maldives Police Service reported that the arrests stemmed from inquiries into scams conducted via Facebook Marketplace. The individuals involved have been recognized as:

Ali Affan, 32, Heenaage, N. Holhudhoo.

Mohamed Hameed, 34, Plaza, N. Holhuddoo

Hassaan Ali, 34, Venus, N. Velidhoo

Hassaan Ali was taken into custody in Velidhoo last Sunday for reportedly scamming a victim out of MVR 30,000 on September 2 by deceitfully promoting a dinghy for sale on Facebook Marketplace.

Last Saturday, Ali Affan and Mohamed Hameed were apprehended in Holhudhoo for a similar scam reported on August 7, where they purportedly swindled MVR 30,000 from a person by deceitfully promoting an engine for sale.

All three suspects have been held in detention for 15 days while police continue their investigations into the two cases.

The detentions come after the capture of three additional suspects earlier this month tied to a comparable online fraud involving MVR 32,000. Last week, 36 scam incidents were recorded by police, leading to overall losses of MVR 597,327.85. Officials retrieved MVR 262,868.89 of the total sum.

Authorities have advised the public to stay vigilant against online scams by steering clear of dubious links and refraining from sharing one-time password (OTP) codes. They also recommended that the public check sellers before engaging in online purchases and avoid sharing personal data or financial information with others.