A retired Sri Lankan judge has become one of the latest victims of an international online fraud ring that has been active for more than two years, officials confirmed.
The criminals accessed her bank account and defrauded her of nearly Rs. 400,000 by posing as the Sri Lanka Postal Department, convincing her to make an online payment for a supposed parcel.
Investigations revealed that the scammers send SMS alerts claiming a package has arrived through the Postal Department and request recipients to pay a small fee—usually under Rs. 100—via an online payment link. Once the victims enter their bank details, the fraudsters gain unauthorized access to their accounts and convert the stolen funds into foreign currencies.
The retired judge has filed a complaint with the Maradana Post Office.
Postmaster General Ruwan Sathkumara stated that the organized group behind the scam has been active for over two years, though their identities remain unknown.
Deputy Director of the Postal Department’s Technical Division, Chamli Vijithapala, warned that the scheme is expanding rapidly, often using the names of well-known local brands to deceive victims. She added that multiple complaints have involved losses in high-value foreign currencies, including US dollars, Australian dollars, Singapore dollars, Swiss francs, and British pounds.
The fraudsters have also created fake websites resembling the official Postal Department page and exploit OTP codes to carry out unauthorized transactions.
The Central Bank’s Investigation Unit, Sri Lanka CERT, and the CID’s Computer Crimes Division have all been notified.
The Postal Department emphasized that it does not support any online payments via credit or debit cards and urged the public to avoid such transactions claiming to be linked to postal services.
Ms. Vijithapala added that authorities have not yet determined whether the scam is being conducted by a single individual or an organized international group.
