Police have arrested four people on suspicion of scamming a person and moving money out of their bank account, the Maldives Police Service said on 1 November.
According to police, unidentified people contacted the victim on 24 October and obtained their one-time password (OTP), which was then used to get into the bank account. MVR 63,000 and USD 21,000 were transferred out of the account.
Three suspects were arrested on 28 October and the fourth on 29 October. They are aged 34, 29, 38 and 21, and are from Fuvahmulah, F. Feeali, F. Nilandhoo and L. Gan.
A court ordered the 29-year-old held for 10 days and the other three for 15 days, police said. The investigation is continuing.
Cyber awareness month
Police announced the arrests while running nationwide activities for Cyber Security Awareness Month. On 29 October, police also said officers had taken part in an international convention on fighting telecom and cyber fraud.
An OTP is a short code a bank sends to confirm a login or a transfer. It is meant only for the account holder, and a caller who asks for one should be treated with suspicion.