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 obtaining financial advantage through deception.
The first incident involves two men, aged 45 and 27, who are accused of working together on August 18th of last year to defraud a victim of $790 by hacking into the Viber account of the victim’s friend. The victim received a message requesting money for urgent needs and, unaware that the account had been compromised, sent the amount. Following the transaction, the 27-year-old allegedly withdrew the money, distributing it by giving the first accused $310 while keeping $480 for himself. The victim realized he had been scammed upon contacting his friend, who confirmed that the request was not made by him.
In a separate case, a 29-year-old woman is accused of dishonestly obtaining $548 from a victim in March 2023. The victim reported the incident to the Nakasi Police Station upon discovering the unauthorized transfer.
Additionally, a 43-year-old woman is alleged to have obtained $40 in December last year after persuading a victim to provide her personal information and One Time Pin for an investment opportunity. The accused allegedly used the OTP to withdraw the funds.
All five individuals face charges of obtaining financial advantage by deception.