Authorities Investigate Hacked Facebook Account Used in Scam

The police have launched an investigation following the hacking of a woman’s Facebook account, which was subsequently used to defraud individuals out of money.

The incident was reported to the authorities yesterday, although the police have not yet released further details. They have confirmed that inquiries into the matter are ongoing.

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This case adds to a growing trend of cybercrime in the Maldives, with many scams involving the hacking or impersonation of social media accounts.

In the first eight months of this year, the police reported the recovery of MVR 2.2 million stolen in such scams. Last year, 1,661 scam cases were reported, leading to a total loss of MVR 20 million.

Authorities have also blocked over 500 bank accounts this year in connection with these criminal activities.

Male’ Man Arrested for Assaulting Mother in Attempted Extortion

The suspect was taken into custody on Tuesday and presented before the Criminal Court for a remand hearing the following day. Police officers attending to the scene testified that the man assaulted his mother in a bid to force her to give him money.

Court documents reveal that this was not the first such incident. The man has a history of assaulting his mother, who has a protective order issued against him by the Family Court. His actions on this occasion also violated that order.

The police emphasised in court that the suspect is a repeat offender, and the Criminal Court subsequently remanded him in police custody for seven days.

This incident follows a similar case in October, where a 28-year-old man was arrested for beating and robbing his mother in her Hulhumale’ home. It also follows a case from late September in which a 38-year-old man was arrested for assaulting his mother.