Police in Maldives have warned people to be careful after a rise in online scams that pretend to raise money for medical emergencies.
The Police Anti-Scam Centre said many recent Facebook posts asking for donations are fake.
How the scams work
Scammers often post pictures of sick patients and ask people to send money to help with medical treatment.
Police say these scammers usually take photos from websites and reuse them in fake posts to make the stories look real.
Many of the posts describe serious illnesses, often involving children, to make people feel sympathy and quickly donate money.
Signs of a scam
Police say scammers often avoid phone calls.
In many cases, the phone numbers shared in the posts do not answer calls and only reply to messages.
This is one sign that the donation request may not be genuine.
Did You Know?
Since Police Anti-Scam Centre opened in June 2024, 1,663 scam cases have been reported. By January 2026, MVR 8.5 million had been recovered, while MVR 22.7 million was lost, according to Maldives Police.
How to check if a post is real
Authorities are asking people to check carefully before sending money.
Police suggest calling the phone numbers listed in the posts to confirm the information.
People can also check if the photos are real by using a tool called Google Reverse Image Search, which can show if the same photo has been used elsewhere on the internet.
Do not share suspicious posts
The Anti-Scam Centre also advised people not to share posts that seem suspicious.
Sharing unverified posts may cause more people to fall for scams and could indirectly support criminal activity.
Example of a scam
To raise awareness, police shared a screenshot of one suspicious post.
The post claimed that a single mother needed money for her three-year-old child who was sick. It also included a name, an ID number, and religious messages encouraging people to donate.
Police reminded the public to always check information carefully before helping with online donation requests.
