Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (Sri Lanka CERT) says it has received complaints from several parents and students who have lost hundreds of thousands of rupees after falling victim to advertisements posted on social media offering admission to foreign universities.
“You may come across advertisements on social media claiming that students can gain admission to foreign universities, obtain visas to travel abroad, secure work permits for several years, and eventually even obtain citizenship in those countries.”
“Some of these advertisements are completely fraudulent. When you call the telephone numbers provided in such advertisements, the information you receive may sound highly attractive and convincing,” it said in a statement today.
Sri Lanka CERT stressed that the scammers present themselves as representatives of some of the world’s leading universities and claim that students can gain admission by paying only a registration fee and the tuition fees for the first semester.
It warned that they may further claim that students can then find employment to cover their accommodation and food expenses while they may also tell students that they have opportunities to obtain scholarships for subsequent semesters.
It said that the scammers may also instruct victims to create an email account or join a WhatsApp group. The information shared through these channels may include videos, photographs and other details about the relevant universities.
“The scammers present this information so convincingly that it may be difficult to suspect that the videos and photographs have been copied or stolen from online sources. The documents provided for registration may also closely resemble genuine documents issued by the respective universities,” the government agency said.
It said they may then provide foreign bank account details for transferring the required payments and that in this way, the scammers attempt to eliminate any remaining doubts that the victims may have.
“After victims transfer hundreds of thousands of rupees as registration fees and tuition fees for the initial study period, the scammers disappear.”
Therefore, Sri Lanka CERT urged the public not to fall victim to such advertisements posted online and to select only legitimate university representatives who provide services through lawful and recognised channels.
Sri Lanka CERT further urged the public to carefully verify the authenticity of all documents provided by such individuals, as well as the bank account details to which payments are requested, before making any financial transactions.
