Sri Lanka Police arrest suspects in major fraud case impersonating officers

The Criminal Investigation Department’s Computer Crimes Investigation Division in Sri Lanka has arrested several suspects for fraudulently posing as police officers and banks to steal money from the public, with investigations ongoing.

Police investigations revealed that the fraudsters use foreign phone numbers resembling Sri Lankan landlines to call bank account holders, claiming complaints have been made about their accounts. They then transfer victims to individuals pretending to be officers from Sri Lanka Police investigative units. These impersonators appear in WhatsApp video calls dressed like police officers, conduct questioning, record statements, and play background noise to make it seem like a busy police environment.

Victims are instructed to deposit money from their bank accounts into accounts controlled by the fraudsters, who then transfer the funds through multiple bank accounts and convert them into cryptocurrency using Binance. Arrested suspects admitted they redirected funds for online contacts and received a commission for doing so.

The Sri Lanka Police warn the public not to share personal information, bank account details, or online transaction information with such fraudsters, and to report any suspicious activity immediately.