The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has informed the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court of a large-scale financial scam involving a fraudulent mobile application designed to resemble the official SriLankan Airlines app.
The CID told Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama that fraudsters had used the airline’s branding and logo to promote a fake application offering a 50% return on airline ticket purchases.
According to investigators, users were initially charged Rs. 250 to register on the application.
Once registered, users were allegedly encouraged to enter personal information, which was then stolen and used to gain unauthorized access to their bank accounts.
The CID’s Computer Crime Investigation Division told the court that the fraudulent application had allegedly been used to steal millions of rupees from unsuspecting customers.
Investigators also revealed that victims were often unaware their banking details had been compromised, with some noticing only that their mobile phones were overheating and their battery life was gradually declining.
The CID said several Sri Lankans who allegedly sold access to their bank accounts to facilitate the fraudulent transactions had already been arrested.
Further investigations are underway to identify and arrest those responsible for operating the fake application. (Newswire)
