News
Banks alert customers to phishing attacks
Sri Lankan banks have issued warnings to customers over a rise in phishing attacks in which hackers are believed to be using spoof websites and deceptive emails to steal online banking credentials and drain accounts.
Cybersecurity sources said the attackers typically create fake websites resembling official banking portals and send messages urging customers to take immediate action, such as resetting passwords or verifying accounts.
When users click the links and enter their usernames and passwords on the counterfeit sites, the credentials are captured by hackers, who simultaneously input them on the genuine banking platforms. In many cases, customers are then prompted to enter one-time passwords (OTPs), which are also intercepted and used to gain full access to accounts.
Once access is obtained, funds can be swiftly transferred to other accounts, often before the victim is aware of the breach.
Issuing a warning to customers, Pan Asia Banking Corporation (PABC) said users must remain alert and verify web addresses before logging in.
“Stay alert! Before entering your username and password, always check the website address,” the bank said, urging customers to use only its official online banking portal at https://online.pabcbank.com and avoid suspicious links, unknown apps and sharing OTPs.
DFCC Bank also cautioned customers against fraudulent websites, noting that scam pages often use misspelled or closely resembling web addresses.
“Always double check before entering any details,” the bank said.
Sampath Bank, in a message to customers, warned of attempts by scammers to use fake payment links, promotional offers, and social media messages to obtain banking credentials.
It advised customers not to enter login details on any external links, and to access Sampath Vishwa only via www.sampath.lk or the official mobile app.
Hatton National Bank (HNB) said customers should remain vigilant against fraudulent websites impersonating its corporate portal, adding that services should be accessed only through www.hnb.lk or official applications.
Standard Chartered Sri Lanka also alerted customers to fake websites impersonating its local domain, warning against clicking suspicious links or sharing personal banking details, and urging use of its official website or SC Mobile app.
Cybersecurity experts said multiple banks across Sri Lanka have been targeted in coordinated phishing attempts in recent days, with attackers believed to be preparing campaigns against more than a dozen financial institutions. They added that defensive countermeasures have been deployed following the initial wave of attacks.
Foreign News
One dead in US after being struck by taking off Frontier Airlines plane
A person has died after jumping an airport perimeter fence in the US state of Colorado and being struck by a Frontier Airlines plane, according to authorities.
Denver International Airport said the unusual incident occurred late Friday, after the unidentified individual gained access to the tarmac.
It said the “pedestrian jumped the perimeter fence and was hit just two minutes later while crossing the runway”.
A brief engine fire followed the collision, which was put out by emergency responders, according to the airport.
It said that 12 of the 231 people on board suffered minor injuries, with five hospitalised.
The airport said investigators had examined the fence line where the individual entered and “found it to be intact”.
It added that the struck individual “is not believed to be an employee of the airport”.
“We are extremely saddened by this incident and express our sympathies to those involved,” the airport said.
Both local authorities and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) were investigating the incident.
Airport safety in the US came under renewed scrutiny earlier this year amid a prolonged shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which temporarily left both Transportation Security Agents (TSA) and air traffic controllers working without pay.
While instances of people being killed on airport tarmacs are rare, Friday’s incident came a day after a Delta employee was killed after an airport vehicle struck an airbridge at Orlando International Airport.
In March, two pilots were killed after an Air Canada Express plane crashed into a fire-rescue vehicle at LaGuardia Airport in New York.
About 225,000 people travel through Denver International Airport a day.
[Aljazeera]
Latest News
Showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Southern, Uva, North-western and Northern provinces and in Anuradhapura district.
WEATHER FORECAST FOR 10 MAY 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 10 May 2026 by the Department of Meteorology
The low-level atmospheric disturbance in the vicinity of Sri Lanka is likely to develop into a low-pressure area around 11th of May. Therefore, the prevailing showery conditions over the island are expected to continue during the next few days.
Showers or thundershowers will occur at most places over the island, and cloudy skies are expected over the island. Heavy showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Southern, Uva, North-western and Northern provinces and in Anuradhapura district.
The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
News
Lanka Port City officials to meet investors in Dubai
ECONOMYNEXT –Colombo Port City (CPC) officials will head to Dubai to meet with investors on June 11, as Sri Lanka’s most ambitious economic zone looks for further foreign investments.
“We are meeting people in Dubai and the Middle East in order to demonstrate that Colombo Port City can be a supplementary zone of investment,” Harsha Amarasekara, Chairman, Colombo Port City Economic Commission (CPCEC), told Economynext.
The meeting will be organised by CPCEC, China Harbour Engineering Company, Consulate General of Sri Lanka – Dubai, and the Embassy of Sri Lanka – Abu Dhabi.
Foreign investor meetings have been a consistent factor in marketing CPC, and identifying potential markets has been a priority for CHEC and CPCEC.
“We have shortlisted and identified primary markets and we have combed the globe in that to say have a rationale behind why you would want to do certain things, a road show in a particular country,” Thulci Aluwihare, Deputy Managing Director, CHEC Port City Colombo, told Echelon Media.
“Once we kind of shortlist on that, then we aggressively go and market Port City, first Sri Lanka I should say, then Port City.”
“Sri Lanka is known in the world as a tourist destination, not essentially for a doing business capital. That is the narrative that we are trying to change,” he added.
-
News3 days agoMIT expert warns of catastrophic consequences of USD 2.5 mn Treasury heist
-
News5 days agoCJ urged to inquire into AKD’s remarks on May 25 court verdict
-
News6 days agoUSD 3.7 bn H’tota refinery: China won’t launch project without bigger local market share
-
Editorial3 days agoClean Sri Lanka and dirty politics
-
Editorial6 days agoDeliver or perish
-
Opinion5 days agoSecurity, perception, and trust: Sri Lanka’s delicate balancing act
-
Editorial2 days agoThe Vijay factor
-
News1 day agoSLPP expresses concern over death of former SriLankan CEO
