The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has reported a sharp increase in complaints involving scams where money is solicited through WhatsApp messages.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) W. G. Jayanethsiri said the CID has received a large number of such complaints in recent days and urged the public to remain vigilant when using WhatsApp groups, noting a growing trend of similar frauds.
Explaining the modus operandi, ASP Jayanethsiri said fraudsters typically obtain the phone number of a person who holds a respected position in society. They then send a message that aligns with that person’s routine, such as an invitation to join a Zoom meeting on a specific topic at a scheduled time.
“When the recipient clicks the link, they receive a message asking them to share a code supposedly needed to confirm their participation,” he said. “That code is actually a One-Time Password (OTP) sent by WhatsApp itself.”
Once the victim shares the OTP, the scammer gains full access to the WhatsApp account and all personal data stored within it. The fraudster then sends messages to the victim’s contacts, claiming to face an urgent problem and requesting money.
According to the CID, many people transfer funds, believing the request to be genuine. In most cases, victims only realise their accounts have been compromised after several days — by which time, multiple others may have fallen prey to the scam.
