Sri Lanka Sees Alarming Rise in Cybercrime

COLOMBO (News 1st); In the first three months of the year, nearly 3,000 cybercrime incidents have been reported, according to the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT).

These crimes, which involve the use of the internet, computer systems, or electronic devices to break the law, include activities such as installing software viruses, stealing information or data related to theft or fraud.

During this period, 2,887 social media and computer-related crimes were recorded, including 364 financial fraud cases.

One victim, Chaminda Ranawira, shared his experience of falling prey to cybercrime a few months ago.

His WhatsApp account was hacked, and messages were sent to his friends requesting money. The hacker even called Chaminda, pretending to be from the Prime Minister's office, using the President's image to lend credibility to the scam.

Chaminda's wife recounted the incident: "My husband received a call and handed it to me to answer. The caller claimed to be from the Prime Minister's office, asking for details and a verification code that appeared on my screen. I saw the number and gave it to the caller, who then cut the call."

Chaminda further explained, "After that, my phone was hacked, and I informed my friends via Facebook that any messages from my WhatsApp were not from me. The hacker was asking my friends for money, using the President's photo as the profile picture and the name 'General Mohammed'. They even hacked a professor's account and extorted large sums of money from his contacts."

Cybercrime has become a severe global issue, with losses amounting to billions of dollars. In some cases, individuals are forcibly involved in these crimes, with operations centered in countries like Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Dubai, involving Sri Lankans as well.

In Sri Lanka, international crime syndicates are active, with recent arrests in Colombo, Battaramulla, and Negombo involving both foreigners and locals. Among those arrested were nationals from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Algeria, Nepal, and Malaysia, with operations led by Chinese criminals.

A victim forced into cybercrime shared their tactics: "We find your number through TikTok and send you a message posing as a female character. We start chatting, and after a few days, we introduce investment programs, claiming successful returns. We direct you to a fake eBay-like website, where you 'sell' items and earn profits. As you continue, we ask for more investments to unlock higher profits. This cycle continues until your funds are depleted. We use video calls to appear as a female, convincing you of our authenticity."

Nirosh Ananda, Chief Information Security Officer at SL-CERT, highlighted the rise in scams during festive seasons: "We see many offers promising prizes like gift hampers worth Rs. 30,000. These scam messages come through various media, including WhatsApp, Facebook, email, and SMS. They lead you to fraudulent websites that collect your bank account details and other personal information, allowing unauthorized access to your accounts. We have received numerous complaints about this. It's crucial to inform us immediately if you fall victim to such scams."