Suspect apprehended for unlawfully obtaining Rs. 118,000 through a computer-related offence

A person who contacted a sales company to purchase a high-power water pressure washer based on an advertisement posted on the Facebook social network has been caught in a money scam when he tried to use the link (web extension) received from the company.

About one hundred and eight thousand rupees have been lost and the suspect was arrested by the North Western Provincial Computer Crime Investigation Unit on 07.01.2026 based on a complaint made by the victim to the North Western Provincial Computer Crime Investigation Unit.

The suspect is a 22-year-old resident of Ihala Gomugomuwa area.

The North Western Provincial Computer Crime Investigation Unit is conducting further investigations into the suspect.

“When purchasing a product or service over the Internet, it is advisable to use only websites that are designed to make payment easy. The difficulty of making a payment by clicking on a suspicious web link, as well as granting permission if those websites request access to your device data, is an invitation for another party to seize not only the money in your bank account but also your personal data stored on the device.”