Police officers will never ask you for an OTP number or a bank password

The Sri Lanka Police has issued a special urgent notice to the community regarding an organized wave of fraud, where individuals posing as police officers and various government officials are stealing people's money and sensitive banking information. These fraudsters use stolen or artificially created photos via communication apps like WhatsApp and Telegram to mislead the public.

Although steps have been taken in previous instances to arrest such fraudsters and educate the public, police reports indicate that a significant number of people still fall victim to these tactics.

Suspects make phone calls to the public claiming to represent the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), or other police investigation units. Their main tactic is to falsely accuse individuals of having their National Identity Card numbers used for illegal activities or their bank accounts linked to serious crimes like money laundering. To make their claims credible, they send fake police IDs, official documents, and state emblems via social media, misleading the public by threatening legal action and pretending to assist in resolving the alleged investigations.

Through this, fraudsters manipulate victims into providing One-Time Passwords (OTPs), login credentials for banking systems, and secret numbers. In some cases, they also pressure victims to deposit money into unknown bank accounts or purchase and exchange cryptocurrencies, including USDT. However, the police emphasize that no government or private institution will ever ask for OTPs, CVC numbers, bank passwords, or other confidential information via phone calls or social media.

Official communications from the Sri Lanka Police occur only through formal written notifications or direct personal meetings with officers on official duty. Therefore, the public is advised to avoid clicking on suspicious website links, downloading files from unknown sources, or scanning unverified QR codes. If fake documents or messages bearing state emblems are received, information about them should be immediately reported to the nearest police station.

It is further emphasized that the police do not charge any money for conducting criminal investigations. Individuals who have fallen victim to such scams or faced such threats can contact the Computer Crime Investigation Division via phone numbers 011-2300756, 071-8592918, or 071-8591765. Alternatively, they can directly visit the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to lodge a complaint.