Sri Lanka reported on Tuesday the disappearance of approximately $625,000 (around 199.7 million Sri Lankan rupees) that was meant for the U.S. Postal Service, as confirmed by local media sources after U.S. officials indicated the payment had not been received. The issue came to light when authorities became aware that hackers had attempted to redirect another payment intended for India.
Australian officials have noted irregularities in payments owed to their country, raising concerns that the Sri Lankan payment issues may be part of a larger scheme. This revelation follows a recent investigation into a $2.5 million theft from Sri Lanka’s finance ministry carried out by cybercriminals.
During a press briefing, Treasury Secretary Harshana Suriyapperuma stated that the hackers diverted the funds from the postal authority to other bank accounts rather than to the designated recipient. Such incidents are indicative of business email compromise (BEC) attacks, where hackers infiltrate email systems or accounting platforms to manipulate bank account details, often leading to significant financial losses.
BEC scams are a growing problem for businesses worldwide, with recent FBI statistics highlighting that these attacks have become one of the primary sources of profit for cybercriminals. Last year alone, BEC attacks resulted in billions of dollars in losses, underscoring the scale and impact of this type of cybercrime.
The announcement of further security breaches adds to the scrutiny faced by the Sri Lankan government, which is already grappling with the aftermath of an economic crisis that culminated in a default on its debt in 2022. The unrest triggered by these financial challenges led to widespread protests and the subsequent resignation of former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
At this stage, it remains unclear if the two thefts—the $625,000 and the $2.5 million—are interconnected. MP Nalinda Jayatissa has indicated that the government is actively investigating the potential links between these incidents.
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