The Fiji Police MPaisa Task Force is set to present two men and two women to the Labasa Magistrates Court on charges of Obtaining Financial Advantage by Deception.
In the first case, two males, aged 27 and 45, are accused of collaborating to defraud a victim of $790 by hacking the victim’s friend’s Viber account on August 18, 2023. The victim was misled into sending the money for urgent needs after receiving a message, unaware that the account had been hacked. The 27-year-old reportedly kept $480 for himself after giving $310 to his accomplice. The fraud was uncovered when the victim contacted his friend, only to learn that there had been no request for funds.
In another incident, a 29-year-old woman allegedly deceived a victim out of $548 on March 1, 2023. The victim was completely unaware of the unauthorized money transfer until she reported it to the Nakasi Police Station upon realizing what had occurred.
Lastly, a 43-year-old woman is accused of taking $40 from a victim on December 23 after persuading her to provide personal information and a One Time Pin under the guise of an investment opportunity. The accused is believed to have used the OTP to withdraw the sum.
All four defendants face charges of Obtaining Financial Advantage by Deception. The Fiji Police Force is urging the public to refrain from sharing personal information, passwords, or PINs with anyone who requests them via phone, message, or call.