A state bank cashier in Kaduwela has been arrested after allegedly transferring over Rs. 135 million in public funds to external accounts following a WhatsApp scam promising high returns, police said.
The suspect, reportedly enticed by a young woman via WhatsApp, was promised a 10% daily interest on any amount deposited. To test the offer, he initially transferred Rs. 30,000 and received Rs. 33,000 back within hours, convincing him of its legitimacy.
Emboldened by the quick return, the cashier returned to work the next day (May 29) and, over the course of several hours, transferred more than Rs. 135 million from the bank to various private and state accounts provided by the woman. The transactions included sums ranging from Rs. 3 million to Rs. 20 million.
Police are currently investigating the scam, working to track the recipients of the funds and identify all those involved.
The case has sparked comparisons to the Indian blockbuster film Lucky Baskar, where a similar story of a bank employee and high-stakes fraud unfolds. In this real-life version, however, there may be little luck to salvage for Sri Lanka’s own ‘unlucky Bhaskar’.
