Sri Lanka is increasingly identified by police and experts as a location for transnational telecom fraud and “pig-butchering” scam operations, with reporting indicating that some Chinese-run networks are relocating from parts of Southeast Asia. The Guardian cites Sri Lankan police statements describing an “alarming” rise in cybercrime, including cases where offenders enter the country as tourists and then set up illegal scam operations targeting victims abroad. Reasons cited across the coverage include easier access for foreign arrivals, including tourist visas, and limited oversight related to SIM cards and internet connections.
Free Press Journal reports that Sri Lankan authorities have carried out raids on suspected foreign-run scam centres in multiple areas, including Kandy, Panadura, and Negombo, and notes a major operation in April 2026 involving arrests at a luxury hotel in Ambakandavila. Investigators describe seizures of computers, mobile phones, and SIM-box devices used to run large volumes of fraudulent calls and messages. Both sources describe scam models that rely on deception and coercion, including recruiting people through fake online jobs and forcing them to operate scams, while fraudsters use tools such as VPNs, phishing, and compromised social media accounts.
