The Fiji Police Force has reported a significant rise in complaints regarding the online payment system M-PAiSA, with a total of 1,356 cases logged by February 7, 2026. Director of CID Serupepeli Neiko highlighted the escalating trend of online fraud linked to M-PAiSA during the World Safer Internet Day event held in Nadi.
Mr. Neiko noted that social media platforms, including Facebook, Viber, and WhatsApp, are frequently used by fraudsters to lure victims. Since the inception of the M-PAiSA taskforce, investigations have focused on cases amounting to $432,000, resulting in the prosecution of 325 individuals and the recovery of $347,395 for victims.
The fraud schemes reported cover a wide range of areas, including rental cars, online shopping for various goods, food, investments, and even visa applications. The demographic most commonly associated with these crimes includes young adults aged 18 to 38, who constitute 68.25% of suspects, while the age group of 39 to 59 accounts for 31.32%.
Victims of this fraud are primarily iTaukei, making up 53% of cases, with a majority being male, representing 57 to 58% of those affected, and around half being unemployed. Geographically, victims are spread throughout Fiji, with the Southern Division reporting 44.5% of cases, followed by the Western Division at 20.8%, the Eastern Division at 13.2%, the Central Division at 12%, and the Northern Division at 11.2%.
In light of these troubling statistics, Mr. Neiko urged the public to stay vigilant as incidents of mobile payment fraud continue to rise, emphasizing the importance of awareness and caution in online transactions.
Leave a comment