CERT warns of racketeers targeting your FDs

Cybersecurity experts in Sri Lanka have issued a warning about a deceitful operation targeting financial deposits. Fraudsters are mimicking officials from prominent institutions like the Central Bank and Police Financial Crimes Investigation Division. They reach out via text messages and social media, posing as these authorities and asking about the victims' savings and fixed deposits.

The criminals claim to have already heard about the victims' bank accounts and assert that the deposited funds were obtained illegally. They then intimidate the victims by stating that the situation must be investigated by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division.

As part of their scheme, the fraudsters send out forged letters that bear fake Central Bank letterheads, forged signatures of supposed officials, and rubber stamps. This creates a false sense of legitimacy and adds to the pressure on the victims. The scammers instruct the victims to transfer their money to a different private bank account, providing a specific account number for this purpose. They claim that the account is held by an FCID officer and urge the victim to initially transfer half of their existing deposits.

After the transfer is made, the victims are asked to provide a bank deposit slip as proof. They are also directed to obtain a letter requesting that the returned funds be deposited back into their original bank account by the concerned police officer. The perpetrators go to great lengths to make their operation appear legitimate, reportedly possessing police uniforms, bank identification cards, and rubber stamps.

Sri Lanka CERT strongly advises the public to remain highly vigilant against this sophisticated fraud. They particularly urge retired persons and the elderly to be aware of this scam and to refrain from responding to any requests for financial information or money transfers.