Sri Lanka CERT has warned of a scam in which fraudsters impersonate Inland Revenue Department (IRD) officials and pressure taxpayers into paying through fake links, after a businessman reported a suspicious call from a number beginning with “0113” claiming to be from the IRD’s head office, Newswire reported.
According to SLCERT, the caller addressed the businessman by name and requested his Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN). The caller then alleged that the businessman had failed to pay taxes and could face legal action unless an immediate payment was made.
To “facilitate” the payment, the caller offered to send a payment link and requested the businessman’s WhatsApp number or email address. The businessman became suspicious and ended the call. When he later tried to call back, there was no answer; minutes afterwards, a second call came from the same number, with the caller allegedly becoming more aggressive and warning of legal consequences. He ignored further calls and reported the matter to SLCERT.
Following inquiries, SLCERT confirmed that the Inland Revenue Department does not send payment links to taxpayers. Tax payments can only be made through authorised banking channels and official procedures, the agency said.
SLCERT warned that had the businessman clicked the link and entered his details, sensitive personal information could have been compromised and money potentially stolen. It urged the public to verify the authenticity of calls claiming to be from the IRD, to refrain from sharing tax information including TIN numbers with unknown callers, and to obtain tax-related information only through official channels.
The IRD-impersonation alert is the latest in a wave of phishing and impersonation campaigns Sri Lankan regulators have flagged in recent weeks. SLCERT earlier this month reported more than 360 online financial fraud incidents during the Vesak-Poson period, and the CBSL has rolled out a public “Be Scam Proof” awareness campaign targeting the same digital-payment fraud cluster.
