Parents of schoolchildren warned of financial scam

A financial scam targeting parents of schoolchildren has been reported from several parts of Sri Lanka.

According to Daily News, the Sri Lanka Police has launched an investigation into the scam following complaints of several incidents.

It is reported that the gang posing as school authorities has been contacting parents claiming that their child is severely ill and in need of treatment for which they are required to immediately deposit cash.

The father of a child from a reputed school in Colombo had received a similar call, but as a lawyer, he had verified with the school authorities after which it was found to be a scam.

An individual working in a bank in Kurunegala received a similar phone call and rushed to the hospital, but was prevented from depositing the money after his colleague had verified with the school authorities and identified the scam.

The father of a student studying in another leading boys’ school in Kurunegala had also received a similar call but had sent the child’s grandfather to the school where the authorities had assured the child was well and in class, revealing the scam.

Investigations have found that some parents had deposited money to the scammers due to failing to verify the safety of their children.

Meanwhile, it was found that the scammers had broken into and robbed the houses of parents who had rushed to the hospitals after being deceived by the scammers.

The Police have requested the public not to fall victim to such scams and to verify the details before acting on the false information.