Trade Minister Manoa Kamikamica is hoping for a positive outcome in regard to the ongoing investigation into the Ebay Shop online recruitment scam.

The total value of losses from the Ebay Shop Online Recruitment scam now stands at $3.1 million, with the Scam Task Force receiving over 1859 complaints as of October 31st.

Kamikamica says it is understood that people have been taken in for questioning, and they hope for an outcome soon.

He says the failed Ebay Shop scam has left many people struggling, with hundreds of people losing thousands of dollars in a scheme that provided zero returns once it collapsed.

“The rising technology and the use of ecommerce platforms are being misused. It is still new and not fully utilized for Fiji and the Pacific countries. Hence it is not fully regulated. Such examples such as the mobile wallets such as M-paisa and MyCash, are becoming increasingly popular tools for cashless payments and money transfer. There is a need, Mr. Speaker, sir, to review existing regulations and identify gaps to safeguard consumer protection.”

Kamikamica says the Task Force has their hands full to also assess, review, and monitor online fraudulent activities both locally and abroad, ensuring there’s no mining leakage offshore.

He adds that continuous advocacy against online fraudulent activities through various media platforms is being made by members of the Task Force.

The Minister says the Task Force may or will declare an online activity a scam after an assessment of the Task Force, assigning members to take necessary action where applicable.