The Fiji Police Force’s MPaisa Taskforce Team has apprehended and charged a couple from Labasa for allegedly committing fraud. The individuals, a 30-year-old businessman from Delailabasa and his 27-year-old wife, face multiple charges including four counts of Unauthorized Access, four counts of Identity Theft, four counts of Obtaining Financial Advantage by Deception (OFABD), and one count of Proceeds of Crime (POC).
According to police reports, the couple is accused of dishonestly acquiring $730 from four victims through the MPaisa mobile payment platform during a period spanning from September 2023 to December 2024. Their scheme involved contacting high-profile individuals and unlawfully accessing their Viber accounts.
The couple would initiate conversations with their targets, falsely claiming that their phone numbers had been mistakenly provided to a Japanese car dealer. In some instances, they impersonated police officers, informing their victims that their phone numbers were being monitored and requesting the international phone number that had previously contacted them. This number was actually a Viber activation code.
Once they gained access to the Viber accounts of these prominent individuals, they would reach out to people in the victims’ contact lists, soliciting money from those perceived to be vulnerable.
The case was reported to the Totogo Police station, and the couple is scheduled to appear in the Magistrates Court in Labasa today.
This incident underscores the importance of vigilance in safeguarding personal information and highlights the ongoing efforts by law enforcement to address cybercrime. It serves as a reminder for individuals to be cautious when sharing sensitive information, particularly over the phone or through digital communications. With continued community awareness and law enforcement actions, there is hope for reducing such fraudulent activities in the future.
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