The Computer Crime Investigation Division of the Police reported to the Colombo Chief Magistrate Thilina Gamage that it has started an investigation into the alleged defrauding of over Rs. 170 million from a large number of people by an organised group who had used a forged logo of the Postal Department to carry out a bogus online goods delivery racket.
The Computer Crime Investigation Division reported to the court that during the investigation it was found that the money was credited to an organization called Ali Express in China.
The Computer Crime Investigation Division submitted to the Court that their unit has received more than 88 complaints regarding this fraud and complainants included doctors, lawyers, engineers, businessmen and government officials among others.
Presenting two complaints related to such incidents before the court, the Police stated that the complaints were from an ayurvedic doctor in Padukka, and an engineer in the telecommunications sector in Mattegoda.
Officials reported that Rs. 2.3 million has been defrauded from the ayurvedic doctor and Rs. 1.8 million from the engineer. The officials told court that after submitting the information to the relevant institutions to import goods online, this group used to send a SMS to the mobile phones of the customers saying that there is a problem with the details with their names and addresses and requested them to fill a newly provided online form.
They had referred the forms using a forged logo of the Postal Department to hoodwink victims and when a customer submits the new form had sent an OTP number to the mobile phones through an SMS.
After the OTP number is forwarded by the customers to this organized group, the group uses the relevant number to obtain sensitive bank details of the customers and steal their money, the Police told court.
Accordingly, the court was requested to issue an order to obtain bank records for further investigations regarding this fraud. Taking into account the facts presented, the court consented to the request and also ordered the Police to immediately arrest the suspects related to the incidents and present them to the court.
Nimanthi Ransinghe
