News
Thousands trapped by convincing crypto conmen
View(s):By Sohan Vipulananda
Computer crimes have increased significantly compared with two years ago, costing many people their livelihoods and hard earned money.
According to the Computer Crime Investigation Department (CCID) of Sri Lanka Police, nearly 5,000 computer crime cases were reported in 2021 and there were 3,168 cases in 2022. Until June, there have been 1,187 cases.
Computer-based crimes started and peaked in 2021 when the country was in lockdown for several months due to the coronavirus disease pandemic.
The CCID was established in 2021 in the wake of complaints.
ASP W.P. Jayanethsiri
A senior officer of the CCID, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), W.P. Jayanethsiri said these crimes peaked in 2021 and still continue.
Apart from cyber scams there are job scams as well, where the victim gets messages from an unknown third party through either WhatsApp or Telegram. Advertisements promise earnings of up to Rs 50,000 for working from home.
The victims are mostly school students, university students and those with a job but seeking part time work.
The scammers use brand names and logos of reputed multinationals such as Ebay, Amazon, Coca-Cola to trap victims.
Scammers tempt potential victims to invest, assuring them a simple withdrawal process. Some invest Rs 1 million or Rs 2m. As soon as a deposit is made, the scammers disappear.
The only evidence available is the crypto ID, which is not sufficient to trace the scammer. Cryptocurrencies are used in online transactions and investments. ASP Jayanethsiri said scammers use Binance and crypto-wallet, because transactions cannot be traced.
Scammers are “buying bank accounts” and get bank details, passwords, and online banking access, he said. “Unfortunately these funds are going to unknown local or foreign organised criminals.’’
Investigations are complex, he said.
The CCID has arrested suspects and those who helped the scammers in many ways such as opening of bank accounts and buying new mobile SIM cards.
“We will find the masterminds very soon,” ASP Jayanethsiri said.
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