Viber scams surge, police urge code protection

The Maldivian Police Anti-Scam Centre has issued a public caution regarding the increasing incidence of fraud perpetrated through the unauthorized acquisition of Viber account verification codes.

This surge in fraudulent activities is largely attributable to heightened online engagement and technological advancements that facilitate complex deceptive schemes.

On Saturday, the Police Anti-Scam Centre reported a rise in impersonation cases wherein individuals' family members and contacts are deceived after the perpetrators obtain verification codes for their Viber accounts.

Consequently, the Centre has outlined several preventative measures. The police advise individuals against sharing Viber verification codes with others and recommend enabling Viber's 'two-step verification' feature within the application's settings.

Furthermore, the Police suggest that any sudden requests for unusual information or money from known individuals should be verified through a direct phone call to mitigate the risk of falling victim to scams.

Recently, the Anti-Scam Centre issued another warning concerning a message containing a link that invited individuals to apply for the Gedhoruveriyaa housing scheme, a subject of significant national discourse.