Last updated on July 23, 2026

Shani was preparing for her Law entrance examination, dreaming of a successful career and a future with Ravindu.

One morning, while studying, her phone lit up.

“Congratulations! You have won LKR 12 lakhs.”

The message appeared to be from her bank.

Although excited, Shani ignored it, thinking it could be another online scam.

A few minutes later, her phone rang.

Shani: “Hello, who is this?”

Unknown Caller: “Hello, Shani. I’m calling from your bank.” Congratulations! Your account ending with **** has been selected for our monthly grand prize. You have won LKR 12 lakhs.”

Shani: “My account? Are you sure?”

Unknown Caller: “Yes, Shani. We introduced this reward programme for our loyal customers, and your account was selected. You have been using this account for a long time, haven’t you?

Shani: “Actually, I opened this account when I was 18.”

Unknown Caller: “Exactly. That shows how loyal a customer you are.”

The caller’s words put Shani’s doubts to rest. The unexpected reward felt like a dream come true.

Unknown Caller: “To process the reward, we need your full bank account number.”

Trusting the caller, Shani shared the details.

Soon, the caller contacted her again.

Unknown Caller: “Since LKR 12 lakhs is a large amount, we need a few additional account holders for verification. I have already sent LKR 1 lakh to your account. Please check.”

After seeing the deposit notification, Shani was overjoyed.

She immediately called Ravindu, but he did not answer. Instead, her sister, who was working a night shift as a nurse, answered. Believing the story, her sister shared her bank details as instructed.

Unknown Caller: “We can proceed with these accounts. We’ve already put LKR 3 lakhs into the other account as well. Everything is moving smoothly. The remaining amount will be deposited equally. Please withdraw it tomorrow morning.”

Shani went to sleep happily.

However, the next morning, everything changed. Shani’s sister discovered that her wedding savings LKR 3 lakhs had disappeared from her account. The deposited amount was also gone.

When Shani checked her account, the LKR 1 lakh had vanished too.

A friend of Shani’s sister, who had seen a Hithawathi awareness video on TikTok, advised them to contact Hithawathi. Hithawathi guided them to report the incident to the police and consult their bank.

During the investigation, authorities discovered the mastermind was none other than Ravindu, the person Shani trusted the most. Further, investigators found that he had used the banking application to transfer the money from their accounts.

Prevention Tips

  • Never share bank account details, passwords, OTPs, or PINs with anyone.
  • Verify unexpected prize messages through official bank channels.
  • Never allow others to access your banking applications.
  • Enable two-factor authentication for online accounts.
  • Contact Hithawathi if you face suspicious online incidents.