BML partners with Maldives Immigration to introduce travel-based card security system
The Bank of Maldives (BML) has announced a digital partnership with Maldives Immigration to strengthen the security of card transactions, introducing a system that activates foreign spending limits only when customers are travelling abroad.
The bank stated that the initiative is designed to address risks associated with financial fraud, particularly cases involving cloned cards used for unauthorised transactions outside the country while the cardholder remains in the Maldives.
Under the new arrangement, BML will integrate with Immigration’s digital systems to verify a customer’s travel status in real time. Foreign transaction limits on debit and credit cards will only be enabled once the cardholder has cleared immigration and departed the country.
According to the bank, the measure builds on existing verification requirements rather than replacing them. Cardholders are already subject to identity checks in line with international payment network standards, including those set by Visa and Mastercard.
BML said the new system adds an additional layer of verification by incorporating physical travel status into the transaction approval process. The approach is intended to reduce incidents of “card-not-present” fraud and cloning-related scams.
The bank noted that the initiative forms part of its ongoing efforts to enhance transaction security and protect customer funds through the use of national digital infrastructure.
