The OTP Call in Hithadhoo
A 62-year-old retired teacher in Hithadhoo, Addu City, visits the police station four days after a phone call from a man who claimed to be from her bank's fraud team. He told her that her account was flagged and asked her to read out the six-digit code sent to her phone. Within minutes, MVR 48,200 left her account in three transactions: MVR 20,000 to a local account, MVR 18,200 to a second local account, and MVR 10,000 to an overseas merchant. She has the SMS alerts and a screenshot of the caller's number. She also posted the caller's photo on Facebook, and friends have identified the photo as a 19-year-old from Male' who says he sold his account to someone. She still has her phone, which she needs for work, and she is flying to Male' tomorrow. Bank staff say they need a police letter before they will freeze anything.
1. What should the officer do in the first hour?
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Treat this as evidence preservation and loss limitation, not as an interview to be completed later.
- Record exactly what happened: the caller's claimed identity, the time of the call, the three transaction times and amounts, the two local account numbers, and the overseas merchant. Photograph the SMS alerts and the caller's number.
- Call the bank's fraud line with her present, note the time of the call and the reference number, and issue the police letter requesting a freeze and preservation of the transaction records, account-opening records, and any CCTV from the branches involved.
- Do not take her phone. Export or photograph the relevant messages with her consent, note the handset model and her number, and let her keep it. If the phone is later needed, a lawful request can follow.
- Take an initial statement, give her a written reference number, and give her the Cyber Crime Unit contact.
- Warn her plainly that the overseas leg is unlikely to be recovered quickly, so do not promise a refund.
Speed matters because the local accounts may still hold funds.
2. How should the officer deal with the Facebook post and the 19-year-old named by her friends?
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The post is a real problem. Publishing a photo and naming someone before any charge invites a defamation complaint, and if the person is later acquitted - or was himself a victim of account takeover - the damage cannot be undone.
- Ask her to remove the post, or at least the photo and name, and explain why in plain language. If she refuses, record that you advised her.
- Treat the 19-year-old as a line of inquiry, not a confirmed accused. Selling or lending an account may itself be an offence, but he may also have been deceived, and he is entitled to the same procedural safeguards. Interview him under caution.
- Do not tell him who reported it, and do not let the victim's post become the basis of the case.
- To establish who controlled the account you need subscriber and IP records from the bank and the telecoms provider. That normally requires a formal request or court order, so start it immediately because it takes time.
- Keep the victim informed of progress without giving her investigative detail she may post.
3. The victim leaves for Male' tomorrow. What must be done before she goes?
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The file has to stand without her, so plan for her absence.
- Take a full signed statement now, with her Malé address, email, and phone number, and explain that she can be interviewed remotely or at another station.
- Give her a copy of the report and the reference number for her bank and any insurance claim, and list the amounts and accounts taken with as much precision as she can provide.
- Preserve the digital evidence before she leaves: call log, messages, screenshots, and the bank's reference.
- Tell her what happens next, who will contact her, and set a review date.
- Do not close the case because she has left. Record that the bank and telecoms requests are outstanding and that the account holder is to be interviewed.
A case that dies because the victim travelled is a case that was never properly recorded.