Sri Lanka Police warned of fraudsters using AI-generated fake payment receipts to cheat sellers
The Sri Lanka Police issued a public warning about a growing wave of scams in which criminals use AI tools to produce convincing fake payment receipts. Fraudsters, often posing as buyers on social media marketplaces, present fabricated bank transfer or mobile payment confirmations, and victims release goods or provide services without being paid. Police urged sellers to verify payments directly with their bank or payment app and to report suspected scams.
What the AI did
Criminals used AI tools to produce convincing fake bank transfer and mobile payment confirmations, which they showed to sellers as proof of payment. It has not been reported which AI tools were used.
First reported October 11, 2026 · Added to the register October 20, 2026 · 1 source
- Affected
- Small business owners and individual sellers on social media, Online retailers relying on screenshot payment confirmations
- Country
- Sri Lanka
- When it happened
- Not stated in the sources
- First reported
- October 11, 2026
What this means for you
Could this affect you?
If you accept screenshots or forwarded images as proof of payment. Police named small business owners, individual sellers on social media and online retailers that rely on screenshot payment confirmations as the groups being targeted.
What to check
- Confirm funds have been received and cleared in your own banking or payment app before releasing goods or starting work.
- Stop accepting screenshots or forwarded images as the only proof of payment.
- Train staff to report suspected fake receipts to police.
Areas of your AI programme this touches
Every fact and its source (3)
- Scam methodAI-generated fake payment confirmations shown as proof of payment“criminals are exploiting increasingly sophisticated AI tools to produce highly convincing fake payment confirmations”[1]
- HarmVictims released goods or services without payment“Victims are being deceived into releasing goods or rendering services before realising that no actual payment was ever made.”[1]
- Police adviceVerify payments directly via bank or official payment app“verify payments directly through their bank account or official payment application before releasing any goods or providing any service”[1]
Sources
- Sri Lanka Police Sound Alarm Over AI-Generated Fake Payment Receipt Fraud Targeting Sellerslankanewspapers.com · October 11, 2026
How this record is classified. Severity M (3/5): harm to individuals, or a policy breach with limited reach. OECD level: incident, an event in which an AI system led to actual harm. Evidence: Confirmed, meaning a company, official or court statement.
The facts in At a glance and in Every fact and its source are quoted from the sources listed. The summary, What the AI did and What this means for you are written from those sources and checked against them automatically before publication. Records reflect what has been disclosed, not everything that has happened. Incidents are found through news feeds and the GDELT Project.
