Sri Lanka Police have urged the public to exercise caution when forming relationships with strangers through dating apps and social media, warning of financial scams involving fraudulent mobile applications.
Several incidents have been reported recently in which scammers use dating apps to establish friendships or romantic relationships with victims, sending attractive messages over short or extended periods to gain their trust and deceive them.
According to police, scammers also approach individuals through social media and messaging platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Telegram, claiming to offer online sexual services or opportunities to form personal relationships. Victims are then persuaded to download and install a specialised mobile application.
Police warned that these applications, which may appear to be dating apps, could be malicious APK files designed to compromise victims’ mobile phones and obtain their online banking credentials.
As a result, scammers may gain access to usernames and passwords associated with victims’ financial accounts when they carry out online transactions while the malicious application remains installed on their devices, enabling the fraudulent withdrawal of funds.
Police said methods used to commit financial fraud through social media and messaging platforms are rapidly evolving, with some scammers exploiting promises of love and companionship to deceive victims and gain access to their financial information.
The public has been urged not to install applications from unknown sources and to avoid sharing banking details, one-time passwords (OTPs), passwords or other personal information with strangers.
Police have also cautioned the public against sharing personal photographs or videos with unknown individuals.
Police stressed that making informed decisions when establishing online relationships is essential to protecting personal safety and financial security, urging the public to remain vigilant when interacting with strangers in the digital environment. (Newswire)