Reports of people falling victim to cyber financial crimes through messages like “Click this link to instantly get a loan of Rs. 50,000” are on the rise.
As more people use online banking services, incidents of fraud related to these services are also increasing daily. Despite efforts to raise awareness about scams operated both domestically and from abroad, the number of victims continues to grow.
Attention to financial crimes in the cyber space has increased, especially following the recent arrest of a large number of foreign nationals, including Chinese nationals, by the Criminal Investigation Department in Sri Lanka.
Since July this year, there has been a rapid increase in the arrest of foreign nationals suspected of internet-based financial fraud in Sri Lanka. Groups of foreigners operating from hotels and lodges in areas like Puttalam and Kandy were apprehended while conducting cyber financial crimes.
Speaking to BBC Sinhala, Deputy Police Chief Nihal Thalduwa mentioned that over 300 individuals, including Chinese nationals, have been arrested by the police.
He also stated that further investigations are underway by the Criminal Investigation Department. Meanwhile, the police are urging the public to be cautious if large sums of money are being used to rent houses or buildings, and to report any suspicious activity.
The Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team confirmed to BBC Sinhala that there were 232 complaints regarding online fraud in September alone. Senior Information Security Engineer Charuka Damunupola mentioned that over 1,100 complaints related to such scams have been received within the first nine months of this year.
“There has been a noticeable increase in online fraud recently. We’re seeing cases of OTP (one-time password) and personal banking data theft during bank transactions.”
“Fake websites imitating bank names have been used to steal bank details, credit card information, and OTP data,” Damunupola noted. “Most victims are in the 40-65 age group, although there have been instances where young people have also fallen for these scams.”
Damunupola advises people to use only the mobile app provided by their bank when engaging in online banking, as it is safer than using general websites.
“We’re also seeing SMS or other messages appearing to come from banks, warning of unauthorized access and urging people to click a link to stop it. Please do not click such links. Many times, these contain links to fraudulent websites.”
“Recently, we’ve noticed ads on social media platforms like Facebook using slightly altered bank logos, offering various prizes. When people see these, regardless of age, they enter their bank details and click the link, only realizing later that they have been deceived. So everyone should be very cautious about these things,” he warned.
-BBC Sinhala