Man remanded over alleged Facebook pastor impersonation scam
The accused allegedly used the names and profiles of two pastors to communicate with their Facebook friends.
Monday 07 September 2026 | 14:30
Updated 07 September 2026 | 16:04 FJT
A 23-year-old Lautoka man accused of impersonating two pastors on Facebook and deceiving their friends into sending money has been remanded in custody.
Uraia Ratulevu, an unemployed man of Natabua Housing, Lautoka, appeared before Resident Magistrate Shelyn Kiran at the Lautoka Magistrate Court today.
Ratulevu faces charges of identity theft and obtaining financial advantage by deception.
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The charges relate to several alleged incidents in which fake Facebook profiles were created using the names and photographs of two pastors.
It is alleged Ratulevu used the accounts to communicate with the pastors’ Facebook friends and request money.
The complainants were reportedly alerted by close family friends after they received messages from Facebook accounts using the pastors’ names and requesting money to clear alleged arrears and avoid action through the Small Claims Tribunal.
The matter was reported to the Online Safety Commission on November 13, 2025, prompting an investigation.
Investigations by the Fiji Police Anti-Scam Taskforce allegedly established that the mobile phone number linked to the accounts was not registered to either of the two pastors.
Ratulevu was arrested on September 5, 2026, and interviewed under caution.
Police allege that during the interview, Ratulevu admitted creating and using the Facebook profiles to impersonate the pastors and obtaining money from their Facebook friends.
The prosecution, represented by Moshin Ali, told the court that Ratulevu allegedly induced multiple victims to transfer amounts ranging from $5 to $465.
The alleged offences occurred on different dates and involved different victims, but the prosecution said they followed a similar method of deception.
Mr Ali also told the court that Ratulevu had been sentenced for similar offences at the Nadi Magistrate Court last Wednesday.
The prosecution highlighted the alleged reputational harm caused by the misuse of the identities of respected community figures, including pastors.
The court also questioned the prosecution about two files containing similar charges.
Mr Ali said he would review the relevant case numbers and files and clarify whether there was any overlap in the charges.
Ratulevu was remanded in custody. The matter was adjourned to September 21,.
