Two men and two women are set to appear in the Labasa Magistrates Court today after being charged by the Fiji Police MPaisa Taskforce for allegedly obtaining financial advantage through deception.
In the first case, a 45-year-old man and a 27-year-old man are accused of working together on August 18 of last year to defraud a victim out of $790 by hacking into the Viber account of the victim’s friend. The victim received a message requesting money for urgent needs and sent the amount, unaware that the account had been compromised. After the money was transferred, the 27-year-old reportedly withdrew it, giving the first accused $310 while keeping $480 for himself. The scam was uncovered when the victim contacted his friend, who confirmed they had not asked for any money.
In the second case, a 29-year-old woman is alleged to have fraudulently obtained $548 from a victim in March 2023. The victim became aware of the fraudulent transaction and subsequently reported it to the Nakasi Police Station.
Lastly, a 43-year-old woman is accused of obtaining $40 from another victim in December of last year. The victim had shared her personal information and One Time Pin (OTP) with the accused under the guise of an investment opportunity, and the accused allegedly used this information to withdraw the funds.
All four individuals are facing one count of obtaining financial advantage by deception.