The Police Cyber Crime Centre, in collaboration with the Anti-Scam Centre, has provided assistance to 1,095 individuals so far this year, according to data released during a press conference on Thursday.
Maldives Police Service (MPS) reported a significant spike in cybercrime, with 814 cases filed in 2025—a 90 percent increase compared to the previous year. Of these, 66 percent involved scams and fraud, while other prevalent issues included phone and social media hacking, defamation, intimidation, and blackmail. Notably, 10 percent of cases were linked to blackmail operations originating overseas, raising serious concerns among law enforcement.
Inspector of Police Azeef Abbas stated that the Centre has helped victims regain access to compromised accounts and secure their digital presence. Currently, 111 cases are under active investigation. Special attention is being directed at illicit "confession pages" targeting students, parents, and teachers, with three administrators already in custody, 19 pages removed, and 30 under surveillance.
The Centre, established in 2021, has also achieved regional success, eliminating over 20,000 malicious IP addresses and domains through an Interpol-backed operation. In August, the launch of a new Cyber Security Operation Centre marked a major step in bolstering national cyber defenses for both government institutions and the public.