According to police, organised fraud groups are impersonating police officers, Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID), and bank officials to mislead unsuspecting victims. These callers often threaten immediate arrest or legal action, citing serious offences such as violations of the Money Laundering Act to create fear and panic.
Police said fraudsters sometimes use personal information such as names, National Identity Card (NIC) numbers or references to past transactions to appear credible. Victims are often told that the matter is confidential and warned not to inform family members. In some instances, scammers initiate video calls while displaying uniforms or official-looking backgrounds to gain trust.
Eventually, victims are pressured to transfer money or deposit funds into bank accounts, falsely claiming the payments are required for investigations, technical verifications or deposits to state treasury accounts. Fraudsters also attempt to obtain sensitive personal and financial information, including bank account details, PIN numbers, one-time passwords (OTPs) and copies of identity documents.
The Sri Lanka Police stressed that no police officer or government institution requests money over the phone to resolve legal or financial matters. Arrest warrants and legal notices, police said, are issued only through proper legal procedures such as official summons or registered letters, not via phone calls.
Members of the public who receive suspicious calls are advised to hang up immediately and contact their nearest police station or the official hotline of Police Headquarters to verify the information. Police further cautioned against using phone numbers provided by callers claiming to be CID or FCID officers, and urged the public to rely only on official contact details published on the Sri Lanka Police website.
The Police also warned the public to be cautious when sharing personal information, noting that fraudsters often obtain basic details through promotions, sweepstakes or registration forms to gain victims’ trust.
Anyone receiving such fraudulent calls has been urged to report the incidents promptly to the nearest police station, providing details such as phone numbers used, messages received and other relevant informatio
