Senior citizen swindled of Rs 4.6 million in phone scam

A senior citizen has lost Rs. 4.6 million after falling victim to a phone scam involving fraudsters impersonating bank officials.

Dr. Amila Fernando, in a post on 'X', said his 70-year-old father was targeted in Colombo by callers claiming to handle tax calculations for a private bank.

The victim inadvertently handed over sensitive banking information and one-time passwords during the call, enabling the scammers to drain his account.

According to Dr. Fernando, bank staff confirmed that at least two other individuals had fallen victim to identical fraudulent schemes within the same week.

The financial institution reiterated that legitimate banks, the Inland Revenue Department, and government bodies will never request security credentials over the phone.

Dr. Fernando urged the public, especially elderly citizens, to maintain extreme caution when receiving unsolicited calls regarding financial matters.

Account holders are advised to terminate any suspicious phone calls immediately and independently contact their branch using official telephone numbers.

Rising instances of targeted phone fraud highlight an urgent need for heightened public awareness and stronger fraud prevention safeguards across Sri Lanka's banking sector.