By Roy Denish.
A sophisticated online scam has cloned the branding and appearance of Sri Lanka’s Daily Mirror newspaper to lure unsuspecting social media users into a fraudulent investment scheme. The counterfeit article promises extraordinary returns through a fictitious platform called Ceylon Petroleum Invest, while falsely using the names of senior government officials to create an illusion of legitimacy.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — An online investment advertisement circulating on social media that uses the layout and branding of the Daily Mirror newspaper is a fraudulent phishing scam, media and government officials confirmed.
The website mimics the digital portal of the prominent Sri Lankan daily newspaper to promote a fictitious investment platform called Ceylon Petroleum Invest. The fraudulent article falsely claims that a minimum investment of 250 dollars will generate automatic monthly returns exceeding 5,000 dollars.
Jamila Husain, the editor-in-chief of the Daily Mirror, confirmed that the platform is a counterfeit website operating under a cloned domain to deceive internet users. Cybersecurity experts note that the fraudulent text contains glaring internal contradictions, including comment sections where users accidentally praise an entirely different entity called Trading Edge, a common error when bad actors recycle digital scam templates.
The fraudulent advertisement also features fabricated endorsements attributed to high-ranking state officials. The President’s Media Division issued a statement clarifying that neither President Anura Kumara Dissanayake nor the government of Sri Lanka has launched or endorsed any automated retail trading platform associated with the Ceylon Petroleum Corp.
Financial analysts warned that the promises of high-yield returns made by the website are mathematically impossible. The operation relies on a multi-step registration process designed to harvest personal information. The system prompts users to input their telephone numbers to be contacted by personal consultants, whom security analysts identify as offshore high-pressure sales agents trained to extract large sums of money under the guise of brokerage fees.
Authorities advise the public not to fill out online registration forms, provide phone numbers, or disclose credit card details to unverified domains. Individuals who encounter the fraudulent link on platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, or electronic mail are urged to block the sender and report the content to relevant network administrators immediately.
#DailyMirror #OnlineScam #PhishingScam #Cybercrime #FakeInvestment #InvestmentFraud #CeylonPetroleum #SocialMediaScam #DigitalSecurity #Cybersecurity #ScamAlert #FakeNewsWebsite #OnlineSafety
