Sri Lanka Police have issued a public warning over a growing number of financial scams in which fraudsters impersonate police officers and government officials through fake social media profiles, stolen photographs and forged identity documents.
Police said they continue to receive numerous complaints from the public who have been deceived by scammers despite the arrest of several suspects and repeated public awareness campaigns.
According to Police, recent investigations have revealed an increase in cyber-enabled financial fraud involving criminals who create fake WhatsApp, Telegram and other social media accounts while falsely claiming to represent Sri Lanka Police, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and other government institutions.
The scammers typically contact victims by telephone and falsely claim that their National Identity Card has been used to commit fraud, that bank accounts or credit cards have been opened in their name or that they are linked to money laundering or other criminal offences.
Victims are then threatened with legal action and told that a confidential investigation is underway. To make the deception appear genuine, the fraudsters send fake police identity cards, badges, official documents and photographs through WhatsApp and other messaging platforms.
Police said victims are often instructed to disclose One-Time Passwords (OTPs), banking credentials, passwords and other confidential information or are pressured into transferring money to unfamiliar bank accounts or purchasing cryptocurrency, including USDT, as part of a supposed investigation or verification process.
Police stressed that no government institution or private organisation will request National Identity Card numbers, bank account details, debit or credit card information, PINs, passwords, CVV numbers or One-Time Passwords over the telephone or through social media platforms.
The statement issued by the Police headquarters also emphasised that Sri Lanka Police, the CID and the Central Bank of Sri Lanka do not conduct official investigations through personal WhatsApp accounts or request members of the public to deposit money into personal bank accounts.
Therefore, the general public have been advised not to transfer money in response to threats claiming that their bank accounts have been frozen or that legal proceedings are imminent. Police urged the public to verify any suspicious requests directly with their bank or the relevant institution using official contact numbers.
The advisory issued by the Police headquarters also warned that documents, letters, identity cards or notices received through WhatsApp or other social media bearing the names, logos, signatures or seals of government institutions may be forged. The general public has also been encouraged to report such material immediately to the nearest police station and to avoid clicking suspicious links, downloading unknown files or scanning QR codes sent by unknown individuals.
Any individual who receives suspicious calls or messages or becomes a victim of such scams, is requested to contact the Computer Crime Investigation Division by calling 071 8592918, 071 8591765, or 011 2300756, or visit the Criminal Investigation Department to lodge a written complaint.
