Sri Lanka is witnessing a troubling rise in sophisticated scams, with fraudsters increasingly exploiting public trust, government identities, and digital platforms to steal personal and financial information.
Police and authorities have warned that these schemes are becoming more advanced, combining technology and deception to target unsuspecting citizens across the country.
The Department for Registration of Persons (DRP) issued an urgent public alert after identifying a fraudulent group illegally using its name and official contact details to obtain sensitive personal and financial data.
According to the department, scammers have been contacting individuals through its hotline number 0115226126, along with variations such as +94115226126, as well as mobile numbers 0771167739 and 0742756098.
Officials also revealed that the fraudsters have created a fake mobile application using official government logos to mislead the public into registering for so-called “Digital Identity Cards” or “E-National Identity Cards.” The DRP clarified that no such application exists and urged citizens not to share any personal information through these channels.
In addition, a phishing website (https://drpgov-lk.com) has been identified as a fake portal designed to mimic the official department site and collect private data from users. Authorities have strongly warned the public not to access or interact with this website.
The Commissioner General emphasised that the department is not conducting any digital identity card registration through external apps or unofficial platforms.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Police have also alerted the public about a separate scam in which fraudsters impersonate SriLankan Airlines. Victims are contacted via WhatsApp and persuaded to download a malicious application named “Sri Lankan.apk.”
Investigations show that once installed, the app acts as a banking trojan, allowing criminals to remotely access mobile devices, intercept one-time passwords (OTPs), bypass biometric security, and transfer funds without the victim’s knowledge. SriLankan Airlines has confirmed that it does not use WhatsApp for promotions or request customers to download third-party applications.
Authorities have also reported a rise in other scams, including fake online shopping and courier services that trick users into revealing sensitive information, as well as incidents where individuals impersonated senior police officers to extort money and goods from hotels and private institutions.
The public is urged to remain vigilant, rely only on verified official sources, avoid sharing personal or banking details with unknown contacts, and report suspicious activity to the nearest police station or the Cyber Crimes Division.
