A special statement has been issued by the Prime Minister’s Office regarding fraudulent cryptocurrency businesses being promoted on social media.
It states that foreign entities are misleading the public by promoting these fraudulent advertisements on social media. The names of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and other prominent Sri Lankan personalities are being used in these fraudulent advertisements.
The main objective of these advertisements is to mislead the public and break their trust in celebrities, especially by damaging the goodwill among the public.
The statement also states that it has been brought to the attention of the public that these fraudulent advertisements and promotions, which are being carried out by these fraudulent accounts operating from Lithuania, are actively targeting Facebook users in Sri Lanka.
Recently, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, Minister of Science and Technology MP Krishantha Abeysena and prominent journalists Amantha Perera and Sunanda Deshapriya, as well as other Sri Lankan celebrities on previous occasions, have been targeted by these ads, it said.
The statement also urges citizens to be extremely cautious of online advertisements promoting cryptocurrency investments, particularly those that falsely claim to be endorsed by government officials and celebrities.
It states that no government official or ministry has endorsed any cryptocurrency investment scheme and that these scams continue to appear on social media platforms despite reports and requests to remove them, raising serious doubts and concerns about Facebook’s inability to effectively crack down on fraudulent ads.
Facebook has asked its parent company Meta to take immediate and strong action to prevent the spread of these fraudulent campaigns and protect Sri Lankan users from financial fraud. The public is urged not to engage with suspicious ads claiming to be endorsed by celebrities, not to engage in such promotions or ads, to report fraudulent ads on Facebook and Instagram directly to the relevant companies, and to verify all financial opportunities through legitimate sources before investing.