Don’t Click That Link: Fresh Wave of Scams Triggers Island-Wide Warning

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka Police have issued a fresh public advisory urging citizens to exercise heightened caution against financial frauds perpetrated via social media platforms and telephone calls, amid a renewed spike in complaints lodged across police stations island-wide.

In an official statement, Police Headquarters said fraudsters are tricking victims into transferring money to various bank accounts through a range of sophisticated ploys. 

Recent complaints indicate scammers are masquerading as recruiters offering jobs, claiming fake prize wins, and even levelling false allegations while promising to “influence” legal outcomes in exchange for payments.

How the scams work:

Investigators say perpetrators deploy multiple tactics—often combining social engineering with digital tools—to harvest bank account details, passwords, PINs, One Time Passwords (OTP), QR codes, and other confidential credentials. Officials also warned of malicious links and scan codes that redirect victims to phishing pages, enabling criminals to siphon funds or hijack accounts.

Key red flags cited by police:

Unsolicited messages or calls promising jobs, cash prizes, or special favors.

Requests to share bank details, NIC numbers, passwords, PINs, OTPs, photos, or to scan QR codes.

Links urging “urgent” verification or payment to avoid penalties or legal trouble.

The advice: Don’t click, don’t share, don’t pay

Reiterating the core guidance, police urged the public not to disclose personal banking information to any third party, not to follow suspicious links, and not to transfer money to unknown accounts under any pretext.

Members of the public who encounter or fall victim to such schemes are requested to contact the dedicated units handling complex and technology-enabled crime:

Mirihana Special Crimes Investigation Division: 011-2852556
Computer Crimes Investigation Division: 011-2300638 / 011-2381375 / 011-2381058