Sri Lanka CERT (computer emergency readiness team) has cautioned the public about a sophisticated scam in which fraudsters impersonate officials of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and the Police Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) to deceive victims into transferring money from their bank accounts, The Daily Mirror reported.

According to Sri Lanka CERT, complaints have been received from people who were contacted by scammers through mobile phones and social media. The fraudsters claim to possess information about the victims’ savings and fixed deposits.

The scammers then falsely allege that complaints have been filed against the victims, claiming their deposits were acquired through fraudulent activities. They threaten the victims with an investigation by the FCID and use the threat of legal action to pressure them into complying with their demands.

To make the scam appear genuine, the fraudsters reportedly send forged documents featuring fake Central Bank letterheads, purported officials’ signatures and rubber stamps.

Victims are subsequently instructed to transfer funds from their bank accounts to designated accounts at private banks. The scammers falsely claim that the accounts belong to FCID officials. In some cases, victims are asked to transfer as much as half of their deposits and send copies of the bank deposit slips as evidence.

The fraudsters may then provide further instructions, including asking victims to obtain a letter requesting that the transferred funds be returned to their original bank accounts after the purported investigation is completed.

Sri Lanka CERT said the scammers use sophisticated methods to establish credibility. They reportedly possess police uniforms, bank identification cards and rubber stamps, which they use to reinforce their false identities and convince victims that they are dealing with genuine officials.

The agency urged the public not to disclose banking or personal information, transfer money or comply with financial demands made through unsolicited calls or social media messages claiming to originate from government, police or banking authorities.

Sri Lanka CERT also highlighted the vulnerability of elderly and retired people to such schemes and urged family members and the wider public to inform them about the scam and help them verify suspicious requests before taking any action.