The Computer Crimes Division of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Wednesday arrested three suspects in Kandy in connection with an online scam, where they cheated online advertisers to steal money from their bank accounts.
The suspects are between 25-30 years old. One of them is a resident of Medavachchiya and the other two are residents of Kandy.
Investigations have revealed that they are drug addicts.
“They call advertisers on Facebook and other websites to order the advertised goods and get them to send their bank account details to deposit an advance payment. They deposit a small amount and call the advertisers again and ask for a code number received to their phones. The unsuspecting individuals had done so, and the racketeers had used those code numbers to transfer money to a different bank account by entering into the online accounts belonging to the advertisers. Then, they had used an ATM card to withdraw money from that account,” a senior officer of the CID said.
The CID officer urged the public not to reveal the code number sent to your mobile by the bank to anybody.
The CID said the suspects had entered into about 80 bank accounts in this fraudulent manner. The CID revealed the scam after investigating into a complaint received to it.
“There are more groups who are involved in similar scams. We are on the lookout for them. Many people, who have less knowledge on technology, fall for these rackets and they are also unaware where to complain,” the CID officer said.
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