The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment has warned applicants for the 2026 Korean Language Test not to act on SMS messages demanding that they deposit money into bank accounts, saying the texts are fraudulent, Daily Mirror reported.

The Bureau said it had received reports of scam messages that falsely claim to come from the SLBFE and ask candidates to transfer money to specified accounts in connection with the examination. It stressed that applicants should not make payments on the strength of such messages.

Why the timing matters

Applications for the test are being issued online through the Bureau’s official website, www.slbfe.lk, from 26 to 30 October 2026 — a narrow window that closes tomorrow. Scam messages aimed at applicants are at their most effective while a real deadline is running and candidates are expecting legitimate instructions.

The Korean Language Test is the gateway to employment in South Korea under the Employment Permit System, which is among the most sought-after legal migration routes for Sri Lankan workers. Competition for places is intense, which is what gives a demand for an urgent payment its force.

What the Bureau advises

The SLBFE said payments should be made only to the accounts held in its own name and published on its official website. Applicants who receive a suspicious message asking for examination-related payment should call the Bureau’s emergency hotline on 1989 to verify it before transferring any money.

The Bureau urged candidates to use official channels only.

This desk has not reproduced the bank account numbers listed in the Daily Mirror report. Applicants should take them from the SLBFE’s own website rather than from any third-party page or message — which is the point of the warning.

Context

Fraud targeting would-be migrant workers is a recurring problem. This archive has previously recorded a foreign employment fraud case in Wattala and a jobs racket run through an NGO front. The Central Bank has separately been naming prohibited pyramid schemes, of which there are now 27 on its list.

Not reported

Daily Mirror does not say how many people have received the messages or lost money, whether any complaint has been made to police or the Computer Emergency Readiness Team, what number or sender ID the texts come from, or how the senders obtained applicants’ phone numbers. It does not say whether the test timetable is affected.