SCAMS have cost Fijians more than $1.3million since 2017, with 1672 cases recorded nationwide, but only 338 have been prosecuted.
Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu revealed the figures yesterday at the launch of Anti-Scam Awareness Week, saying the remaining cases reported since 2017 were still under investigation.
He said the Western Division recorded the highest number of scam reports, followed by the Southern, Central, Eastern and Northern divisions.
“Cases still under investigation in the Western Division alone involve more than $500,000,” he said.
“Over the last seven years, 11 cases were prosecuted with the accused persons receiving varying convictions from imprisonment terms, ordered to repay the victims, or issued a fine.
“Two cases were acquitted as the victims failed to turn up to court despite being summoned.”
Mr Tudravu said the Fiji Police Force had strengthened its response through the Anti-Scams Taskforce by improving coordination and streamlining reporting processes.
He said a dedicated Scams Section had also been established, comprising specialised investigators with digital literacy and forensic expertise to investigate cyber-enabled scam syndicates.
“To defeat a decentralised, highly sophisticated, and borderless threat, our traditional concepts of policing must adapt.”
He said the specialised unit reflected the force’s commitment to tackling the growing threat of online and cyber-enabled scams.
