Police issue warning on new scam that empties bank accounts

2026-03-18 - 15:04

The Police state that reports have been received regarding online financial scams carried out by fraudsters who impersonate representatives of well-known institutions and claim that a special mobile application (app) must be installed in order to obtain the institution’s services. Although the Sri Lanka Police continuously raise public awareness regarding fraudulent activities and financial irregularities carried out using the internet and modern technology, the number of complaints relating to such scams is increasing daily. In order to deceive the public, fraudsters: Impersonate representatives of a recognised institution and persuade individuals that a special mobile application must be installed to access its services. They then claim to assist with the installation and instruct victims to share their mobile phone screen (screen sharing). Through this process, fraudsters gain remote access to the victim’s mobile phone. This enables them to use banking applications (online banking apps) on the device to discreetly transfer funds from the victim’s accounts to other accounts. It has been observed that a lack of public awareness regarding technological matters is a primary reason for falling victim to such scams. Therefore, the Police urge the public to pay close attention to the following: Exercise extreme caution regarding advertisements on social media promoting “various income opportunities” or “high-return investments”. Fraudsters often build trust by initially offering small profits before eventually defrauding victims of large sums of money. Do not share bank account numbers, passwords, or OTP (one-time password) codes received on mobile phones with any third party under any circumstances. The public should be aware that no legitimate bank or institution requests such information over the telephone. Avoid clicking on links sent by unknown individuals or installing applications provided by them. In particular, exercise great caution before granting any permissions that allow access to personal data. Refrain from sharing your mobile phone screen (screen sharing) with unknown individuals or following their instructions to do so. If you become a victim of such financial fraud for any reason, you should immediately inform the relevant bank or financial institution and take steps to secure your accounts.