CERT Warns Public to Stay Alert to Online Ads During Festive Season

The Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team has issued a public warning, advising citizens to be cautious when interacting with online advertisements as the festive season nears.

Charuka Damunupola, Senior Information Security Engineer at SLCERT, highlighted that the organisation has already received multiple reports of online scams during the first two months of this year.

With the upcoming Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations, he noted, there is a heightened risk of fraudulent online ads and malicious links. These scams often appear as enticing promotions, such as discounts, cash prizes, or special offers, but are designed to trick users.

Damunupola explained that clicking on these deceptive links can lead to fake websites that attempt to steal personal information and other sensitive data.

He also cautioned that during Vesak and Poson festivals, scammers may exploit the season with misleading campaigns, including promotions falsely branded as initiatives like “Poson Maha Data Dansala.”

In response, SLCERT is urging the public to remain alert and avoid interacting with suspicious or unsolicited online links and advertisements, especially during the festive period.