Sri Lanka CERT Warns Public of AI-Generated Videos Using President and PM to Promote Investment Scams

Sri Lanka's Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) has issued an urgent public warning regarding the spread of artificially generated videos that falsely portray President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, and other high-profile public figures in an attempt to deceive citizens into participating in fraudulent investment schemes.

Deepfake Technology Exploited for Financial Fraud

The alarming trend involves the use of sophisticated artificial intelligence tools to create convincing deepfake videos, in which the likenesses and voices of senior national leaders are manipulated without their knowledge or consent. These fabricated clips are then circulated across social media platforms and messaging applications, lending a false sense of legitimacy to what are ultimately financial scams designed to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.

Public Urged to Exercise Caution

Sri Lanka CERT has called on all citizens to remain vigilant when encountering online videos that appear to show prominent personalities endorsing investment opportunities or financial platforms. Authorities stress that neither the President nor the Prime Minister has authorised any such promotional content.

• Do not act on investment advice promoted through social media videos alone.
• Verify the authenticity of any financial endorsement through official government channels.
• Report suspicious content to Sri Lanka CERT or relevant law enforcement authorities immediately.

A Growing Threat Across the Region

The misuse of AI-generated media to perpetrate financial fraud is a rapidly escalating concern not only in Sri Lanka but across South Asia and beyond. Cybersecurity experts warn that as deepfake technology becomes increasingly accessible, the potential for such deceptive content to cause widespread financial harm grows significantly.

Sri Lanka CERT urges the public to treat any unsolicited investment promotion featuring public figures with extreme scepticism, regardless of how authentic the content may appear.

Citizens who have already been targeted by or fallen victim to such schemes are encouraged to come forward and report their experiences to the appropriate authorities without delay, as swift reporting can assist in tracking and dismantling the networks behind these criminal operations.