CHATURANGA PRADEEP SAMARAWICKRAMA 
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Foreign digital creator claims Rs. 15,000 scam on first day in Colombo
A foreign digital creator known as Travel with Balnur has alleged that she was scammed of Rs. 15,000 in Colombo on her first day in Sri Lanka, after being approached by a man who sought help citing personal hardships.
In a video published on her TikTok page on January 15, Balnur recounted the incident, stating that the man stopped her while she was walking along Galle Road. According to her account, the individual introduced himself as Manoj, claiming to be 55 years old, a Sri Lankan who could speak English but was not well educated. He told her that his wife was a cancer patient and that he was struggling to support his family, including two daughters.
Balnur said the man insisted that he did not want cash but requested that she purchase high-protein milk powder for his wife from a nearby supermarket. Trusting his story, she accompanied him inside, where he selected several premium food items, including powdered milk, rice, cooking oil and coconut milk powder.
“I didn’t question it because I only wanted to help,” she said in the video, adding that she ended up paying around Rs. 15,000 for the items.
However, after sharing her experience online, Balnur said she received numerous comments from people claiming they had been approached by the same man, allegedly using different stories but requesting the same items, particularly powdered milk. Commenters suggested that this was a common scam, where premium grocery items are resold for cash.
“I lost Rs. 15,000, but more than that, I lost my trust,” Balnur said, urging others to be cautious. She called on the public, especially visitors, to learn from her experience, protect their kindness and avoid engaging with such requests.
She also invited others to share similar experiences in the comments, sparking wider discussion online about street-level scams targeting both locals and tourists in Colombo.
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