As the festive season approaches, the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SL CERT) has issued a public advisory urging caution when engaging with online advertisements and offers.

Senior Information Security Engineer at SL CERT, Charuka Damunupola, highlighted that several online scam incidents have already been reported during the first two months of the year. 

He emphasised that upcoming celebrations, such as the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, increase the risk of encountering fraudulent advertisements and malicious links masquerading as discounts, cash prizes, or special promotional offers.

Damunupola explained that these malicious links often redirect users to fake websites designed to steal personal and sensitive information. 

He also warned that during other festive periods like Vesak and Poson, scammers may exploit schemes titled “Poson Maha Data Dansala” to deceive the public and harvest user data.

SL CERT has urged everyone to remain vigilant and exercise caution when clicking on unsolicited links or advertisements seen online, especially during the holiday season, to protect themselves from potential cyber threats.