Sri Lanka's Computer Emergency Readiness Team has warned of a sharp increase in extortion scams conducted via Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp, with evidence suggesting involvement from both overseas and domestic perpetrators.
The Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT) has issued a public warning regarding a resurgence in sextortion schemes targeting social media users across multiple platforms. Recent weeks have seen a notable uptick in victim complaints, with fraudsters employing sophisticated social engineering tactics to extract money from targets through threats of exposure.
According to SLCERT, the typical scam follows a predictable pattern: perpetrators contact victims through Instagram accounts posing as young women, gradually establishing trust over several days before requesting explicit video interactions. Once compromising material is obtained, scammers take screenshots and use them as leverage, threatening to share the content with the victim's family and social contacts. Demands begin modestly at Rs. 5,000 to 10,000 but rapidly escalate into the hundreds of thousands of rupees as victims make successive payments.
While initial investigations suggested overseas operations based primarily in India, SLCERT has noted concerning evidence of domestic involvement. Money previously directed to Indian bank accounts is increasingly being transferred to personal accounts within Sri Lanka, indicating possible local coordination in the scheme. The scammers have refined their tactics by pre-emptively adding victims' relatives to their social media networks, thereby amplifying pressure and credibility of exposure threats.
SLCERT has advised the public to exercise caution across messaging platforms including Telegram, verify the identities of contacts before engaging in private conversations, and refrain from sharing intimate imagery or participating in compromising video calls. Those targeted are urged to report incidents immediately to SLCERT or local law enforcement rather than acquiescing to payment demands, which typically lead to escalating extortion.
