International group defrauds Sri Lanka Postal customers of foreign currency

By Indika Sri Aravinda

Colombo, Nov. 17 (Daily Mirror) - The Sri Lanka Postal Department has revealed that an international organization has been defrauding postal customers of foreign currency for over two years, exploiting the Department’s name to carry out financial scams.

Postmaster General Ruwan Sathkumara stated that the fraudulent group, operating through online purchases both locally and internationally, remains unidentified, and it is currently impossible to determine the total amount of foreign currency defrauded.

The scam typically involves customers receiving an SMS asking them to pay a small amount—often less than Rs. 100—to receive an online parcel. Once the payment is made through the customer’s bank, the fraudsters copy sensitive bank account information. The group also creates fake websites resembling the official Sri Lanka Postal Department site and uses OTP codes to carry out unauthorized transactions.

All financial losses identified through this scam involve foreign currencies, including US dollars, Australian dollars, Singapore dollars, Swiss francs, and British pounds. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka’s Investigation Unit, the Computer Emergency Response Team (SART), and the Computer Crimes Division of the Criminal Investigation Department have been informed.

Deputy Director of the Postal Department’s Technical Division, Chammi Vijithapala, confirmed that the Department has been receiving a significant number of complaints regarding this fraud, which has been ongoing for more than two years.

Both Mr. Sathkumara and Ms. Vijithapala have urged all postal customers not to make any online payments through the Department of Posts using credit or debit cards, as the Department does not provide such facilities.

“The identities of the individuals or groups responsible have not yet been established,” said Mr. Sathkumara, emphasizing the need for caution among postal users nationwide.