Last updated on April 25, 2024

Names and places mentioned herein are hypothetical.

Dimantha hurriedly called Hithawathi for advice because he thought his mom got caught in a trap. He wanted to know what to do right away. Hithawathi listened carefully as Dimantha explained the situation his mom faced.

Dimantha: My mom isn’t great with phones, mostly uses them for social media and calls.

Hithawathi: Alright, what happened?

Dimantha: I wanted to sell my old camera, so I posted an ad on xxxx.lk with my phone number. A buyer from Kandy contacted me, saying he wanted to buy it. I was excited because I needed some quick cash.

Dimantha told about the conversation he had with the buyer.

Buyer: Can I transfer the money to a xxxxxx bank account? It’s convenient for me because I have a xxxxxx account.

Dimantha: I don’t have one, but just a moment, my mom has an account with xxxxxx bank

Buyer: That’s great. Please share the account details with me and also give me your mom’s number.

Dimantha mentioned that he gave the buyer all the information requested. When Dimantha was not at home, his mom got a message from someone she didn’t know. The message, “Check whether you received money?” included a link, and without hesitation, she clicked on it. Almost immediately, she received a call. The person on the other end asked her to share the code/OTP she received. Unfortunately, Dimantha’s mom told the code to this unfamiliar caller to know more about the transferred money.

A little while later, Dimantha’s mom got a message from xxxxxx bank, stating that all the money in her account had been taken out, and only Rs.1,000/- was left as the remaining balance.
After sharing this unfortunate incident, Dimantha asked what he should do next. Hithawathi talked about the scams that often happen nowadays and explained the specific scam that his mother fell victim to. Hithawathi advised Dimantha to get in touch with the Computer Crime Investigation Division (CCID) of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) by making a phone call or sending an email.

Precaution Tips:

  • Do not click on strange or unverified links as scammers send them to steal / misuse your data and identity.
  • Never tell anyone your OTP, PIN, password, or any confidential information.
  • If you need help with a cyber-scam, cyber harassment, or any other cyber-related issue, reach out to Hithawathi for guidance.
  • If you come across a money scam, reach out to Computer Crime Investigation Division (CCID) of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) (Tel: 011 238 1045 , Email: dir.ccid@police.gov.lk) or contact Police Emergency (Hotline -119, TELL IGP – telligp.police.lk , Website: https://www.police.lk).