Police warn public of financial scams linked to online dating applications

Newswire reports that Sri Lanka Police have warned the public about financial scams connected to dating applications and online relationships. Ada Derana also reports a police warning about financial scams linked to online dating applications.

Newswire reports that recent cases involved scammers using dating apps to form friendships or romantic relationships, sending appealing messages over varying periods to win people’s trust. Police also said that scammers approach people through Facebook, WhatsApp and Telegram, sometimes offering online sexual services or personal relationships.

Newswire reports that targets may be persuaded to download a specialised application presented as a dating app. Police warned that these may be malicious APK files that compromise phones and capture online banking credentials when users make transactions while the app remains installed; scammers may then use the information to withdraw funds.

Newswire reports that police said methods of financial fraud through social media and messaging services are changing quickly, with some scammers using promises of affection or companionship to obtain financial information. Police advised the public not to install apps from unknown sources, disclose banking details, passwords or one-time passwords, or share personal images or videos with strangers.

Written automatically by AI from the outlets’ own reports, and not reviewed by an editor. It can be wrong — the original report is the authority.