Opposition MP D.V. Chanaka has raised concerns over what he described as a possible cyberattack affecting remittances sent by Sri Lankan workers in Israel through a state-owned bank, with funds for April and May reportedly remaining inaccessible to recipients in Sri Lanka.
Chanaka told parliament that a large number of Sri Lankans employed in Israel had been unable to access money they remitted in April and May. Workers had been advised to use the services of Global Remit Ltd through a leading state bank, but the remitted funds had not reached their intended recipients, he said.
“There are many Sri Lankan workers in Israel who continue to work despite risks to their own safety. On average, one worker sends around US$3,000 per month,” he said.
He said affected workers and families had been bounced between the bank and the embassy. “When they inquire from the bank, they are told to contact the embassy. When they contact the embassy, they are told to speak to the bank. The money has not reached the recipients.”
Chanaka raised the possibility of a cyber-related issue while saying the origin was unclear. “We do not know whether this is due to a cyberattack on the government, the bank or another entity, but something has happened to these funds,” he said.
The MP did not name the state bank or quantify the blocked transfers. He did not link the complaint to the Treasury’s confirmed US$2.5 million email fraud heist or the People’s Bank’s separate Rs. 656 million remittance exchange-rate error disclosed in May, but the timing — April and May remittances — overlaps with the period in which both issues surfaced. Sri Lanka resumed worker deployment to Israel on May 7 after the Middle East flight disruption eased, with the SLBFE pushing its 202nd post-resumption batch into Tel Aviv.
Source: MP sounds alarm over possible cyberattack affecting remittances from Israel — Newswire, June 11
