BML Dismisses Circulating Letter on Homeland Ministry Data Request as Fake

The Bank of Maldives (BML) has rejected as fabricated a letter circulating on social media that claims the Ministry of Homeland Security, Labour and Technology formally requested customer account information from the bank, saying any disclosure of customer data is governed strictly by law.

An anonymous account on the social media platform X shared the letter on Monday, which purportedly showed the ministry writing to BML to request details on accounts that had received transfers exceeding USD 500 from money changers. The document quickly drew attention online amid heightened public scrutiny of informal currency exchange activity in the Maldives.

Responding to the claim, BML spokesperson Mohamed Saeed said the letter was fake.

"We would like to take this opportunity to state that the letter circulating on social media, claiming that the Ministry of Homeland Security, Labour and Technology sent a letter to this bank requesting customer information, is fake," Saeed said.

Saeed added that BML discloses customers' banking information only in accordance with the Banking Act, and only pursuant to a court order or a written request submitted by an authorised investigative agency, underscoring that no blanket data-sharing arrangement of the kind described in the letter exists.

The bank's denial comes against the backdrop of a broader crackdown on illegal foreign currency trading in the Maldives. Police announced on Monday that six foreign nationals had been taken into Immigration custody over allegations of engaging in unauthorised dollar trading. Authorities said the arrests followed an operation by a special task force established by relevant state institutions to identify, investigate, and take legal action against individuals and networks conducting unlawful foreign exchange transactions.