Digital Economy Ministry says $ 2.5 m Treasury breach not system hack

Monday, 27 April 2026 00:28 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Says was likely phishing scam and points to fake domains and impersonation of officials
Says fraud involved deceptive email instructions, not system intrusion
Multi-agency probe underway to trace funds and perpetrators
Authorities hopeful of recovery through banking trail

Digital Economy Deputy Minister Eranga Weeraratne

Appearing to highlight a significant distinction, Digital Economy Deputy Minister Eranga Weeraratne said the reported $ 2.5 million Treasury breach appears to be a sophisticated phishing and impersonation scam rather than a direct system hack.

Speaking to media on Saturday, he said fraudsters had allegedly created a fake domain and email addresses resembling the international entity involved, using names similar to actual officials to mislead authorities into authorising payments.

Weeraratne said investigations are ongoing with multiple agencies, including the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, and other State institutions, to trace the flow of funds and identify those responsible.

He added that authorities remain hopeful of recovering the money through the banking trail associated with the transaction.