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 fraudulently obtaining financial gains.
The first case involves two men, aged 45 and 27, who are accused of collaborating on August 18 of last year to deceive a victim out of $790. They allegedly hacked the Viber account of the victim’s friend and sent a message requesting money for urgent needs. The victim, unaware of the hack, transferred the requested amount. After receiving the funds, the 27-year-old reportedly withdrew the money, giving the first accused $310 while keeping $480 for himself. The scam was uncovered when the victim consulted his friend, who confirmed that he never requested any money.
In a second case, a 29-year-old woman is accused of fraudulently obtaining $548 from a victim in March 2023. After realizing the transfer had occurred, the victim filed a report with the Nakasi Police Station.
Additionally, a 43-year-old woman is alleged to have taken $40 from another victim in December of last year. She did so after the victim provided personal information and a One-Time Pin (OTP) for a supposed investment opportunity presented by the accused. The accused is said to have used the victim’s OTP to withdraw the funds.
All five individuals face charges of obtaining financial advantage by deception.