Woman Deceived in Money Transfer Scam

The man also offered to help the victim if she could pay $3000 for tax purposes to clear the parcel and the funds on her behalf.

Police had received a report from a deceived woman who sent money to an individual claiming to work at Nadi International Airport.

The victim, who chose to remain anonymous, is a resident of Buabua in Lautoka.

She had been in communication with an individual who claimed to be a woman from the United Kingdom on social media.

This woman was allegedly making arrangements for the victim to travel to the UK for employment. Subsequently, the UK acquaintance informed the victim that she would be receiving a parcel through Post Fiji from the UK. “The acquaintance sent me a photo of the parcel, claiming that it contained jewelry, clothes, and money to assist my family,” the victim said.

The victim then received a call from a man who identified himself as an employee of the Fiji Revenue & Customs Service at Nadi International Airport.

The man informed her that her parcel had arrived but contained a large amount of UK currency, which was allegedly illegal. He warned her that she could face criminal charges.

The man offered to assist her by requesting a payment of $3000 for tax purposes to clear the parcel and the funds on her behalf. He provided them with a bank account number to transfer the money.

“I questioned my UK acquaintance as to why she had sent such a large sum of money when I had not requested it,” the victim explained.

“She responded saying that she simply wanted to help with my travel and other family needs.” In response, the victim’s husband sent $1500 via Mpaisa, but they were surprised to see that the recipient was a Fijian woman. With the assistance of a doctor in Nadi, they reported the incident to the police. Police spokesperson Ana Naisoro confirmed that a report had been filed at the Lautoka Police Station and an investigation was currently underway.