Advance-Fee Scams in Maldives
Advance-fee fraud targets Maldivian residents and diaspora with fake lottery wins, business contract offers, and unclaimed estate claims requiring upfront payments.
Part of: Advance Fee Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Advance-fee scams reach Maldivian residents primarily through SMS and social media, exploiting the small-nation trust dynamic where messages that appear locally relevant carry extra credibility. Fraudsters sometimes claim to represent a Maldivian government agency or a well-known resort brand to make the approach seem plausible.
Maldivian diaspora members in Australia, the UK, and Sri Lanka are also targeted with claims of unclaimed compensation or property rights in the Maldives that require processing fees to unlock.
How this scam works on Maldives
Inside the Maldives, advance-fee pitches most commonly arrive by SMS or Facebook Messenger. A message claims the recipient has won a prize in a draw associated with a known local brand — a telecoms company, a resort chain, or a government loyalty programme. A processing fee must be paid before the prize is released.
Business owners on inhabited islands receive messages purportedly from overseas buyers interested in purchasing locally produced goods — coconut oil, fish, or handicrafts — but requiring an advance customs bond before the order is placed.
Diaspora variants claim that unclaimed government compensation or resort employment funds are being held in the recipient's name and require notarial fees to transfer.
Common red flags
- Prize or windfall notification for something you did not enter or apply for
- Any fee described as a prerequisite for receiving your own money
- Message uses the name of a real Maldivian brand but cannot be verified through their official channels
- Business buyer insists on advance payment rather than standard trade finance
- Communication is only via personal WhatsApp or a free email address
- Urgency imposed by an artificial deadline
How to protect yourself
- Never pay any fee to receive a prize, compensation, or inheritance you were not expecting
- Verify any brand association directly through the company's official contact channels
- Use trade finance instruments for export transactions rather than advance payments to unknown buyers
- Check any claimed government programme with the relevant ministry directly
- Report suspicious messages to the Maldives Police Service
How to report it
- File a report with the Maldives Police Service
- Report fraudulent messages to your mobile operator
- Alert the relevant brand or government ministry if their name has been used without authorisation
Frequently asked questions
A message says I've won a prize tied to a resort chain's loyalty programme — how do I check if that's real?
Contact the resort chain or telecoms company directly through its official website or verified customer service line — not the contact details in the message — to confirm whether the promotion and your win are genuine.
A business contact overseas wants to buy our coconut oil but requires an advance customs bond — is that standard?
No. Genuine international buyers typically use standard trade finance arrangements rather than requiring the seller to prepay a customs bond. Treat this request as a warning sign and verify the buyer's identity independently before sending any money.
How can Maldivian diaspora members verify a claim about unclaimed government compensation back home?
Contact the relevant Maldivian government ministry directly using officially published contact details, rather than relying on the notary or intermediary named in the unsolicited message.
Do Maldivian telecoms companies run legitimate prize draws?
Some do, but legitimate draws do not require any fee to claim a prize. Always verify through the company's official website or customer service line — not through the contact details provided in the message.