Social media scams on the rise, Sri Lanka CERT urges public vigilance

18-Dec-2025

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Due to a rise in online fraud and financial scam attempts through social media platforms in recent weeks, the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (Sri Lanka CERT) urges the public to remain highly vigilant.

Cybercriminals appear to be exploiting the upcoming festive season and the current extreme weather disaster situation to take advantage of the public’s trust and vulnerability.

Sri Lanka CERT has received a significant number of complaints regarding fraudsters impersonating government institutions, government departments, supermarkets, and commercial organizations.

To mislead unsuspecting individuals, scammers are posting information on social media claiming to offer fake promotions, financial rewards, and prizes.

Following the cyclone and heavy rainfall that caused damage across many parts of the country, cybercriminals have been impersonating government institutions and organizations involved in relief and reconstruction efforts. They havbeen posting fraudulent links and encouraging the public to donate money through these links.

As a result, there have been cases where scammers gained unauthorized access to individuals’ bank accounts and took control of them. In some cas, victims lost all the money in their bank accounts.

Sri Lanka CERT strongly reminds the public to avoid accessing suspicious links, to be cautious when sharing personal information, and to exercise extreme care when dealing with unknown individuals or unverified websites.

The public is also reminded never to disclose one-time passwords (OTPs). It should be noted that government institutions and established organizations do not request sensitive information from the public through unsolicited social media posts or online links.

Sri Lanka CERT urges the public to closely scrutinize any social media messages containing requests for donations or financial commitments during this period and to verify their authenticity.