The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), Sri Lanka’s Bankers Association (SLBA), LankaPay, and FinCSIRT have issued a joint statement cautioning the public about the increasing incidents of online financial scams, particularly targeting mobile devices.
According to the statement, there have been numerous reports of fraudulent activities disguised as enticing online offers. These schemes lead unsuspecting mobile users to click on unknown links and download malicious apps and files, granting scammers complete access to their devices. Once control is established, scammers exploit this access to pilfer funds directly from bank accounts and payment cards.
Fraudsters commonly exploit social media platforms, websites, and online messaging applications to ensnare users in their schemes. Notably, the statement emphasized that these fraudulent activities stem from scammers gaining control of mobile devices and not from any security vulnerabilities in banking or payment apps. It reassured the public that both state and private banks adhere strictly to international security standards in developing their online applications.
In light of these threats, the public is urged to exercise caution and adhere to preventive measures such as,
- Exercising caution with online ads.
- Avoiding clicking on unknown links, apps, or files.
- Refraining from sharing personal information.
- Exiting unknown groups and online platforms to which users are added without consent.
- Avoiding clicking on links shared via such groups.
- Avoiding saving passwords on devices.
- Utilizing biometric authentication (e.g., fingerprint, facial recognition) to access bank/payment portals.
- Downloading apps only from official app stores and regularly reviewing app permissions.
- Disabling mobile data/Wi-Fi if suspicious behavior is noticed.
- Installing updated antivirus apps and heeding security warnings issued by authorities.
