Sri Lanka's Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) has warned the public about fraudulent social media advertisements that offer admission to foreign universities, Newswire and Asian Mirror reported on 9 and 10 October 2026.

According to both reports, the alert followed complaints from parents and students who said they had lost hundreds of thousands of rupees. No total number of complaints or total loss was given.

How the scheme works

CERT says the advertisements come from people posing as representatives of well-known overseas universities. They promise admission, a student visa, multi-year work permits and eventually citizenship. Applicants are asked to pay only a registration fee and first-semester tuition, and are told that part-time jobs will cover living costs and that scholarships will fund later semesters.

Applicants may be added to WhatsApp groups or asked to create email accounts, where they receive videos, photographs and registration papers. Asian Mirror reports CERT as saying these materials may be copied from online sources and made to closely resemble genuine documents. Payments are directed to bank accounts abroad. In CERT's words, as reported by Newswire, "The scammers then disappear after receiving the payments."

CERT said some of the advertisements are completely fraudulent and that callers can sound highly convincing. No suspects have been publicly identified.

Wider relevance

Similar offers circulate across South Asia, including India, where students seeking to study abroad are targeted with fake offer letters and visa promises. The pattern of a low initial fee, promises of work and settlement, and payment to an overseas personal or third-party account is a common warning sign.

How students can protect themselves

CERT advises dealing only with university representatives who operate through recognised and lawful channels, and verifying documents and bank details before paying. Students can confirm an offer by contacting the university's admissions office through contact details on its official website, check that any agent is listed by the university, and pay fees only to accounts the university itself publishes.

Sources

This News Desk report summarises information published by the sources above, written in our own words. Persons named in criminal matters are accused, not convicted, unless a court has ruled otherwise. To report an error, use our contact page.

Sri LankaStudy abroadAdmission scamStudent visaSocial media fraud

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