The Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (Sri Lanka CERT) has warned of a recent rise in online and financial scams via social media, issuing the alert on 15 December.

Cybercriminals are exploiting the festive season and recent disaster conditions, impersonating government agencies, public institutions, major retailers and relief organisations to solicit money. 

Fraudulent posts include false promotions, prizes and donation requests, which have led to unauthorised access to some bank accounts.

The public is urged to avoid suspicious links, share personal information only through secure channels, never disclose one-time passwords, and verify all donation requests before responding.