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CBSL issues Warning on rising crypto scams

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The Central Bank of Sri Lanka has once again warned the public about  increasing number of financial scams, promising high returns based on crypto investments.

The Bank insists that it has not granted licences or given authorization to people or business for activities such as cryptocurrency operations, Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), mining, exchanges, deposit-taking or custody services, or advisory services related to cryptocurrency.

The Bank while alerting the public on alarming rise in fraudulent activities related to crypto investments said that it is crucial to be aware of the tactics used by fraudsters to safeguard one’s finances and stay vigilant.

“Fraudsters utilize various tactics, exploiting social media to advertise schemes with high returns and often boasting about their claimed earnings.

This creates a false sense of legitimacy and attracts new participants. Further, scammers use platforms like Whatsapp and Telegram to communicate with victims”, the Central Bank message said.

The announcement said that Scam advertisements often lead to professional-looking websites, aiming to disguise their fraudulent nature. Some scammers go a step further by conducting classes or awareness sessions on these fabricated platforms, providing misleading information on earning high returns or trading cryptocurrencies.

After an investment is made, scammers may swiftly seize funds or continue the deception to attract more victims. It is crucial to recognize that you may not realize you’ve fallen victim to a scam until attempting to divest from your investment. Protecting Yourself from Scams Cryptocurrencies are unregulated in Sri Lanka, not considered legal tender, and lack regulatory safeguards.

The following entities were found promoting the involvement of cryptocurrencies:Sport Chain App, Sports Chain ZS Society Sri Lanka, OnmaxDT 3, MTFE App, MTFE SL Group, MTFE Success Lanka (Pvt) Ltd and MTFE DSCC Group (Pvt) Ltd.

Source – dailynews.lk

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UK’s relaxed trade rules to boost SL exports

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The Government of the United Kingdom (UK) has unveiled a package of reforms to simplify imports from developing countries like Sri Lanka after upgrades to the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS).

The changes, announced as part of the UK’s wider Trade for Development offer, aim to support economic growth in partner countries, including Sri Lanka, while helping UK businesses and consumers access high-quality, affordable goods.

New measures include simplifying rules of origin, enabling more goods from countries such as Sri Lanka, Nigeria, and the Philippines can enter the UK tariff-free, even when using components from across Asia and Africa.

These changes are expected to be in place by early 2026.

This move strengthens Sri Lanka’s position in its second-largest apparel market, supporting exports, jobs, and economic growth.

The British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Andrew Patrick, said: “This is a win for the Sri Lankan garment sector, and for UK consumers. With the UK being the second largest export market and garments making up over 60% of that trade, we know manufacturers here will welcome this announcement.

“We want Sri Lanka to improve the utilisation of the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme for a wider range of goods, not just garments. With the Sri Lankan government’s ambition to grow exports, and with the simplification of rules of origin for other sectors too, we strongly encourage more exporters to explore how they can benefit from the preferences offered by the DCTS. The UK remains committed to working towards creating shared prosperity for both our countries.”

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Pakistan police arrest 149 including 2 Lankans in ‘scam call centre’ raid

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Pakistan police have arrested 149 people in a raid on a scam call centre, the country’s National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) said on Thursday.

The agency told the BBC it acted after a tip-off about the network, which was operating in the city of Faisalabad.

It said the centre was involved in Ponzi schemes and tricked people into handing over vast sums of money in the name of fake investments.

Those arrested included 78 Pakistanis, 48 Chinese nationals, eight Nigerians, four Filipinos, two Sri Lankans, six Bangladeshis, two Myanmar nationals and one Zimbabwean national.
Eighteen of the 149 were women, the agency added.

A copy of a police report said victims of the alleged scam would initially receive a small return on their first investments, before being persuaded to hand over larger sums of money.

“The charged individuals ran WhatsApp groups where they lured ordinary people by assigning small investment tasks like subscribing to different TikTok and YouTube channels,” the agency said.

“Later, they shifted them to Telegram links for further online tasks requiring larger investments.”

Pakistani citizen Muhammad Sajid told BBC Urdu that he was added to a Telegram channel with tens of thousands of members and was impressed by the company’s work. He said he gave them more than 3.138 million rupees ($36,600) in various instalments.

The raid, which took place on Tuesday, saw authorities seize hundreds of computers, servers, cryptocurrency exchanges and foreign SIM cards from the site.

On Wednesday, 149 suspects appeared in court, 87 of whom were handed over to the NCCIA on a five-day physical remand.

A further 62 suspects have been transferred to the district jail on judicial remand until 23 July.

The agency said the raid was at the residence of Malik Tehseen Awan, the former head of Faisalabad’s power grid, who has not been arrested.

(BBC News)

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Milk tea price upped by Rs. 10

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The All Island Canteen and Restaurant Owners’ Association has announced a Rs. 10 increase in the price of a cup of milk tea.

Association President Harshana Rukshan stated that the decision was made in response to the recent rise in the price of imported milk powder.

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