FINANCIAL CHRONICLE – The Australian government has acknowledged its awareness of a $2.5 million fraud involving Sri Lanka’s Treasury, with local officials collaborating with Australian representatives in the ongoing investigation.
The Australian High Commission in Colombo confirmed, “Both the Australian High Commission and Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Finance are informed of the discrepancies related to payments owed to the Australian Government.” They added, “Sri Lankan authorities are actively investigating the situation and are working in conjunction with Australian officials who are providing assistance in this inquiry.”
Deputy Finance Minister Anil Jayantha revealed that cybercriminals posed as representatives of Australia’s export financing agency to misappropriate funds from the Sri Lankan Treasury. The fraudulent transaction occurred during a payment made in January 2026.
The hackers gained access to the External Resources Department’s computer systems within Sri Lanka’s Treasury, intercepting emails to acquire necessary information for executing the fraudulent payment. The scheme was uncovered after the hackers attempted a second fraudulent transaction related to payments owed to India.
Following this, a review of payments initiated since the restructuring of Sri Lanka’s external debt was conducted, which ultimately led to the identification of the fraud associated with the Australian agency’s credit. (Colombo/Apr23/2026)
