Sri Lanka Police have warned the public about scammers who use fake dating apps to take over victims’ phones and drain their bank accounts.
The police said several incidents had been reported recently. Scammers send friendly or romantic messages to a target over a short or long period to win their trust, the police said.
According to the police, the scammers also approach people on Facebook, WhatsApp and Telegram. They claim to offer online sexual services or personal relationships, and then persuade the victim to download a specialised mobile application.
The police said such apps may look like dating apps but could be malicious APK files, the installation files used for Android phones. The files are designed to compromise a phone and obtain the owner’s online banking credentials.
Once the app is installed, the scammers can see the usernames and passwords the victim enters when making online transactions, the police said. This allows them to withdraw money fraudulently.
The police said the methods used to commit financial fraud through social media and messaging platforms are changing rapidly. Some scammers exploit promises of love and companionship to reach financial information.
The public has been urged not to install applications from unknown sources. They were also told not to share banking details, one-time passwords (OTPs), passwords or other personal information with strangers.
Background
An APK is the file format used to install applications on Android phones. Apps normally reach a phone through an official app store, which checks them. A file sent directly by a stranger, or downloaded from a link in a chat, has not been checked in that way.
A one-time password is a short code that a bank sends to confirm a transaction. Banks and the police commonly advise customers never to read it out or send it to anyone, because it can authorise a payment.
The warning follows earlier police appeals about online fraud and about sharing personal information with people met on the internet.
What it means
Anyone who is contacted by a stranger online and asked to install an app should treat the request with suspicion. That applies to Sri Lankans abroad who use the same social media and messaging platforms and who may bank online with Sri Lankan accounts.
People who think they have installed such an app should contact their bank, in line with the general advice banks give customers about suspected fraud. The police have also cautioned the public against sharing personal photographs or videos with unknown people.
