The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has busted a large-scale online financial fraud network operating from Negombo which targeted several foreign countries, as well as Sri Lankans.
According to the Police, the CID arrested 33 suspects, including foreign nationals, engaged in the financial fraud.
The CID had received a complaint from a woman on June 13 in which she claimed that she had been included in a WhatsApp group requesting to like and comment on TikTok videos for which she would receive cash payments.
The woman has claimed that even though she had received Rs. 750 on multiple occasions for liking and commenting on TikTok videos, she was later requested to join the group’s telegram service to receive future cash payments.
However, the admin of the WhatsApp group is said to have requested the woman to deposit money to a bank account to receive cash payments, following which the woman is said to have deposited money amounting to Rs. 5.4 million on multiple occasions.
As she had failed to receive her cash payments as promised, the woman had filed a complaint with the CID in this regard.
Investigations launched into two bank accounts to which the woman had deposited money had led to the arrest of a father and son in Peradeniya. The duo had revealed that they had also fallen victim to the scam and had been instructed by the scammers to open the said bank accounts.
Further investigations found an order for Pizza made via one bank account, which had led to the CID finding the delivery location as a luxury house in the Negombo area.
Based on this information, the CID officers raided the house on Monday night, during which 13 suspects including 2 women were arrested, while the officers also seized 57 mobile phones, 13 computers, and 3 laptops used to carry out the scam. The arrested group consists of two Sri Lankans, and Pakistan, Algeria, Nepal, and Malaysia nationals.
Following information from the group, the CID officials raided another luxury house also in Negombo where they apprehended 19 other suspects and seized 52 mobile phones and 33 computers. The suspects include Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Indonesian nationals.
The suspects have revealed that they had scammed foreigners as well and that their operations are also based in Dubai and Afghanistan. (Newswire)