News
Beware of sophisticated scams that exploit human weakness
View(s):- Fake job and lottery scams lure victims with familiar logos and false promises
By Dilushi Wijesinghe
Thinuri Thissera
From glittering promises of work-from-home opportunities to lotteries offering triple returns, Sri Lankans are being swept up in a sophisticated wave of job and investment scams that exploit both technology and human weakness.
Fraudsters use familiar brand names, government logos and even international retail platforms to trick people into joining Telegram groups, where victims are manipulated into disclosing their personal data and finances, the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT) told the Sunday Times.
The pattern is disturbingly consistent: the fraud begins with seemingly harmless ads–some sponsored, others posted on Facebook, Instagram or other social media platforms–displaying well-known brand logos, including global names like Alibaba and Temu. There are also Sri Lankan company names and government departments, Information Security Engineer Thinuri Thissera revealed.
Clicking the link leads directly to a Telegram chat or group. Once inside, victims are hoodwinked by an illusion of legitimacy. They see large groups of participants, fake testimonials and fabricated screenshots of withdrawals.
“It gives the impression that it’s not just one person doing it,” Ms, Thissera explained. “They show as if other people are also involved. It looks like a system, not a scam.”
The hook: small tasks and early rewards
Victims are first assigned simple tasks – clicking ads or making small purchases that are sometimes never delivered. The scammers then dangle bigger opportunities: “Invest Rs 45,000 today and withdraw Rs 65,000 next week,” and so on. Early payouts convince people to increase their stakes.
“This spiral escalates quickly, sometimes into millions,” Ms. Thissera said. “The highest case we recorded involved Rs 2,000,000. The victim believed it was a raffle and kept putting in different amounts until it totalled two million.”
montage of bogus ads appearing on various online platforms
Other schemes take the form of “reward systems” where participants are told to invest Rs. 500,000 to enter a lottery that could yield Rs. 1,500,000.
“The graphical user interface (GUI) of these sites show balances rising, creating a sense of progress. Victims watch figures climb, believing their investment is safe. But when they try to withdraw, the system demands additional payments or collapses entirely,” Ms Thissera explained.
Brainwashing, denial and manipulation
Most chilling is the psychological manipulation behind these scams. Many victims struggle to accept they have been scammed, even when confronted with proof.
“An individual in his thirties came to our office with his cousin,” Ms. Thissera recalled. “He had invested heavily under the belief that a well-known hotel was hiring employees. The scammers had copied the logo of the hotel. Only when we showed him the genuine website did he finally accept the difference. Until then, he could not admit he had been deceived.”
About half the victims who approach SLCERT, Ms Thissera estimated, still resist the idea that they were conned. “The commonly targeted age category is 15 – 40,” she said.
The use of trusted brand names is central to the deception. Scammers exploit logos of hotels, retailers and even banks. Facebook ads promising “free gifts” from these brands direct users to fraudulent sites. There, personal details are harvested for further abuse.
“It happens every year,” Ms. Thissera. “But people still fall for it because they want quick money or free gifts. If they believe something valuable is being offered effortlessly, they are tempted.”
Experts note that AI-generated text is now employed to craft convincing messages. Voice calls on Telegram are conducted in Sinhala, often with a Tamil accent that suggests the speaker is not fully fluent, Ms Thissera said.
Scammers also localise their profiles by stealing photographs of Sri Lankans and combining them with mismatched names. These tactics create just enough familiarity to trick victims into believing they are dealing with locals.
Weak awareness and low prevention
Despite repeated warnings and campaigns, awareness remains thin.
“No matter how much awareness we create, people only learn after they fall victim,” Ms. Thissera said. “We tell it through newspapers and television. We write, we announce. But it doesn’t reach them properly. It needs to be continuous. The scammers change their methods every time. Our awareness must evolve, too.”
Fraudsters, meanwhile, react faster than the authorities. They monitor awareness campaigns and reverse the message, even using the logos of government awareness drives to advertise new scams.
How the public can protect themselves
Experts suggest simple precautions: First, verify whether the company or government agency whose name is used is genuinely running the promotion. Call their general line and ask before participating.
Second, examine website links carefully. Government sites carry the “gov.lk” domain. Commercial firms use established domains that differ from the fake ones.
Third, avoid trusting the first link that appears in a Google search, as scammers often pay for sponsored ads. “Verification must happen before you enter,” Ms Thissera said.
Cross-border operations
Although many operations are traced back to networks in other countries, Sri Lankan collaborators play a central role. Locals are recruited to manage Telegram groups, record voice messages and engage with victims in Sinhala. The hybrid model allows international scammers to bypass language barriers while appearing to maintain authenticity.
SLCERT has shut down over 20 sites since 2024. Reports of scams, however, have seen an increasing trend. While 2250 scams were reported to SLCERT last year, 1200 cases have so far been reported this year.
When cases are reported, SLCERT investigates the websites and applications involved. It has the authority to contact hosting providers and demand takedowns of phishing sites. However, it does not pursue the individuals behind the operations; cases are referred to the Computer Crime Investigation Division (CCID).
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