The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has busted a large-scale online financial fraud network operating from Negombo which targeted several foreign countries, as well as Sri Lankans.

According to the Police, the CID arrested 33 suspects, including foreign nationals, engaged in the financial fraud. 

The CID had received a complaint from a woman on June 13 in which she claimed that she had been included in a WhatsApp group requesting to like and comment on TikTok videos for which she would receive cash payments. 

The woman has claimed that even though she had received Rs. 750 on multiple occasions for liking and commenting on TikTok videos, she was later requested to join the group’s telegram service to receive future cash payments. 

However, the admin of the WhatsApp group is said to have requested the woman to deposit money to a bank account to receive cash payments, following which the woman is said to have deposited money amounting to Rs. 5.4 million on multiple occasions.

As she had failed to receive her cash payments as promised, the woman had filed a complaint with the CID in this regard.

Investigations launched into two bank accounts to which the woman had deposited money had led to the arrest of a father and son in Peradeniya. The duo had revealed that they had also fallen victim to the scam and had been instructed by the scammers to open the said bank accounts.

Further investigations found an order for Pizza made via one bank account, which had led to the CID finding the delivery location as a luxury house in the Negombo area.

Based on this information, the CID officers raided the house on Monday night, during which 13 suspects including 2 women were arrested, while the officers also seized 57 mobile phones, 13 computers, and 3 laptops used to carry out the scam. The arrested group consists of two Sri Lankans, and Pakistan, Algeria, Nepal, and Malaysia nationals. 

Following information from the group, the CID officials raided another luxury house also in Negombo where they apprehended 19 other suspects and seized 52 mobile phones and 33 computers. The suspects include Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Indonesian nationals. 

The suspects have revealed that they had scammed foreigners as well and that their operations are also based in Dubai and Afghanistan. (Newswire)

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Sri Lankan actress Damitha Abeyratne and her husband who were arrested by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) over an allegation of financial fraud have been remanded until April 17, 2024.

The couple were remanded after being produced before the Fort Magistrate’s Court today. 

Damitha Abeyratne and her husband were arrested yesterday after having surrendered to the Fort Magistrate’s Court over the financial scam.

Previously, the Fort Magistrate’s Court had imposed a travel ban on the couple in connection to the case filed on the financial scam.

Earlier in the week, the Court of Appeal had rejected the couple’s request for an interim order preventing their arrest under the Immigrants and Emigrants Act. 

Damitha Abeyratne and her husband have been accused of defrauding money amounting to nearly Rs. 3 million by claiming to provide foreign jobs. (Newswire)

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Sri Lankan actress Damitha Abeyratne and her husband have been arrested by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) over an allegation of financial fraud. 

The couple was arrested after having surrendered to the Fort Magistrate’s Court today over the financial scam.

The Fort Magistrate’s Court yesterday imposed a travel ban on the actress and her husband in connection to the case filed concerning the financial scam.

Earlier this week, the Court of Appeal also rejected the couple’s request for an interim order preventing their arrest under the Immigrants and Emigrants Act. 

Damitha Abeyratne and her husband have been accused of defrauding money by claiming to provide foreign jobs. (NewsWire)

Actress and Aragalaya Activist Damitha Abeyrathna appears in court today. #Lka pic.twitter.com/JNtQM71Yh1

— Manjula Basnayake (@BasnayakeM) April 4, 2024

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The public has been warned of individuals carrying out financial scams by collecting money by posing as officials from Non-Governmental Organizations promising financial assistance.

The Police said three suspects have been arrested with cash collected from the public under the guise of providing financial assistance for self-employment and books for children. 

A 28-year-old woman from Siyambalanduwa was initially arrested for having posed as an NGO official promising financial assistance, while she had collected Rs. 600 from people as a membership fee to join the organization. 

The woman had been arrested on Tuesday (Dec 05) in the Gemunupura area in Athimale with Rs. 26,000 collected as membership fees, while she was found to have deposited Rs. 136,000, collected by defrauding the public, at a Co-operative Rural Bank.

The Police also arrested a man and a woman from the Madugama area in Siyambalanduwa, who had defrauded the public by posing as officials from NGOs and had collected Rs. 70,300. 

The suspects are a 46-year-old man from Monaragala and a 32-year-old woman from Siyambalanduwa. 

The Athimale and Siyambalanduwa Police have launched a joint probe to ascertain if the suspects had operated in other areas of the country. 

The Police have requested the public not to fall victim to such financial scams. (NewsWire)

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A financial scam targeting parents of schoolchildren has been reported from several parts of Sri Lanka. 

According to Daily News, the Sri Lanka Police has launched an investigation into the scam following complaints of several incidents. 

It is reported that the gang posing as school authorities has been contacting parents claiming that their child is severely ill and in need of treatment for which they are required to immediately deposit cash.

The father of a child from a reputed school in Colombo had received a similar call, but as a lawyer, he had verified with the school authorities after which it was found to be a scam. 

An individual working in a bank in Kurunegala received a similar phone call and rushed to the hospital, but was prevented from depositing the money after his colleague had verified with the school authorities and identified the scam.

The father of a student studying in another leading boys’ school in Kurunegala had also received a similar call but had sent the child’s grandfather to the school where the authorities had assured the child was well and in class, revealing the scam. 

Investigations have found that some parents had deposited money to the scammers due to failing to verify the safety of their children.

Meanwhile, it was found that the scammers had broken into and robbed the houses of parents who had rushed to the hospitals after being deceived by the scammers. 

The Police have requested the public not to fall victim to such scams and to verify the details before acting on the false information. (NewsWire)

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